Josh Eilert Named Interim Head Coach at Utah

Former West Virginia University assistant Josh Eilert named interim head coach at Utah

Feb 24, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Josh Eilert watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

On Monday, the University of Utah athletics director Mark Harlan announced the men’s basketball program is parting ways with head coach Craig Smith and assistant coach Josh Eilert will serve at the team’s interim head coach.

Eilert held the same role with West Virginia last season after the resignation of former head coach, and hall of famer, Bob Huggins. He served as an assistant coach under Huggins for 17 seasons.

Eilert and the Mountaineers finished the 2023-24 season with a 9-23 record after dealing with multiple eligibility issues to start the season, including the team’s leading scorer RaeQuan Battle (16.1 ppg) and starting point guard Kerr Kriisa, and starting center Jesse Edwards was sidelined with a wrist injury in the middle of the season.

Smith hired Eilert to join the Utah staff in June.

Utah was picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference and currently is ninth in the league standings. The Utes currently hold a 15-12 overall record with a 7-9 conference record.

West Virginia and Utah met earlier in the season in Morgantown and Eilert received a standing ovation from the Mountaineer faithful in his return to the WVU Coliseum. The two programs square off in Salt Lake City next week.

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