Jerrod Calhoun Gives First Comments as Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Head Coach: 'We Want To Get It Back'

Jerrod Calhoun gave some initial fired-up comments on his Bearcats tenure right as he arrived in Cincinnati this week.

WLWT's Charlie Clifford caught up with the new head coach at Lunken Airport after his private plane ride into town.

Calhoun was fresh off his Tuesday evening flight from Utah, where he coached at Utah State after really getting rolling as a head coach at Youngstown State. He graduated from Cincinnati in 2004 and knows what this program is all about. The Bearcats are ready to row together with the whole fanbase to get this program back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

"I think Cincinnati basketball means so much to so many people, and we want to get it back," Calhoun said to Clifford. "We want to get back in the NCAA tournament. And it really starts right now ... We're going to need the help of a lot of people, and it's one of the best fan bases, if not the best fan base, in the country. We got to really, really work at this thing every day."

He previously spent seven seasons at Youngstown State before the past two with Utah State, compiling a 118-106 record in Ohio, and claimed the first-ever regular season conference championship in YSU program history in 2022-23.

At Utah State, Calhoun held a 55-15 record during his two years at the helm. The 10-seed Aggies suffered a 72-47 loss to 7-seed UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season and fell in the second round to Arizona this season.

A Journey Back To Clifton

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Utah State Aggies head coach Jerrod Calhoun at press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"It's been a wonderful journey," Calhoun said at the airport. "I've had a lot of great mentors, and it's good to be back, really, really excited about tomorrow. Reunite with a lot of familiar faces and start this journey."

Former UC head coach and Calhoun's mentor, Bob Huggins, had glowing words for Calhoun upon the hiring. Huggins will be in attendance at today's introductory press conference, as will other UC legends for a pseudo-reunion to celebrate the hiring.

“Jerrod Calhoun is one of the top young coaches in college basketball and a great fit for the University of Cincinnati," Huggins said in the hiring press release. "He started with me as a student assistant with the Bearcats and later worked on my staff at West Virginia, where he helped us reach the Final Four. He’s earned everything he’s gotten. Jerrod works, he connects with people, and he knows how to build a program. I’ve enjoyed watching his growth over the years, and I’m proud of what he’s accomplished. Cincinnati is getting a great coach.”

Check out the full clip from Clifford below:

Jerrod Calhoun says he talked to Mick Cronin for an hour last night. Bob Huggins will be at tomorrow's introductory presser. It's a full UC homecoming.

Calhoun tonight after landing at Lunken: "We want to get it (Bearcats Basketball) back." pic.twitter.com/jgsh9xeDff
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) March 24, 2026

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