Utah State head men’s basketball head coach Jerrod Calhoun announced the promotion of Max Bent to assistant coach on Thursday. Bent previously served as the team’s director of video and analytics, after originally joining Calhoun’s staff prior to the 2024-25 season.
“Max has done an exceptional job since arriving in Logan,” Calhoun said. “He has a great knowledge of the game and a great ability to connect with players. I love to have systems in place where we can continue to develop and promote within our coaching staff, and that’s what builds continuity among a program. Max has earned this opportunity and will thrive in his new role. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
During his first season with the Aggies in 2024-25, Bent served as the team’s director of video and analytics. He helped guide the Aggies to a 26-8 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Utah State boasted one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, ranking 11th in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.60), 14th in assists per game (17.1) and 20th in field goal percentage (.484), leading the Mountain West in each category. Defensively, the team set a program record with 291 steals, surpassing its previous high of 238 steals in 2023-24.
“I’m elated to be here at Utah State and I look forward to continuing to build on our success from last season,” Bent said. “I’m incredibly thankful to coach Calhoun and his leadership, and appreciate this opportunity. I am also extremely grateful to be able to learn from such a great staff and eager to work with our exceptional student-athletes.”
The Aggies posted a 15-2 home record and went 15-5 in league play in 2024-25, finishing third in the Mountain West despite returning just four letterwinners from the previous year’s roster. In non-conference play, USU defeated Iowa in a neutral site matchup to earn its first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2013. The team then went on to win the NIT Season Tip-Off in Orlando and earn a win at Saint Mary’s, before opening conference play with back-to-back road victories over then-No. 20 San Diego State and Nevada. The team’s win over SDSU was its first road victory over an AP Top 25 team since 1991 and its first win in San Diego since 1999.
Individually, the guard duo of Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev each earned all-Mountain West honors, with Martinez named to the first team and Falslev to the second team. Martinez scored in double-figures in 33 of USU’s 34 games, ranking fifth in the league with 16.4 points per game. Falslev ranked in the top 10 in the conference in points (15.0), rebounds (6.3), assists (3.7) and steals (2.32) per game, earning four MW Player of the Week honors and twice named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
Bent joined the Aggies after spending three seasons (2021-24) as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator at University of Charleston, a Division II program in Charleston, West Virginia. There, under head coach Dwaine Osborne, he helped lead the Golden Eagles to a combined 72-22 overall record.
In 2023-24, Charleston had a historic season as it went 29-5 with a 17-3 record in league play to win both the Mountain East Conference regular season and tournament titles. The team then went on to make a run as a 3-seed to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division II Tournament before falling to 1-seed Gannon.
That season, the team led the nation in field goal percentage at 51.9 percent (1,025-for-1,974), while also ranking in the top 20 nationally in scoring margin (6th – +14.1), winning percentage (6th – .853), 3-point percentage (13th – .387) and rebound margin (18th – +6.3). Under Bent’s guidance, four different Golden Eagles earned all-conference recognition, including MEC Player of the Year Eddie Colbert III.
In 2021-22, Bent helped Charleston to a 24-7 finish while going 17-5 in conference play and a trip to the MEC Tournament title game. The team finished second in the nation in field goal percentage at 51.9 percent, while also finishing near the top of the country in rebound margin (+7.0) and scoring offense (83.6), while three Golden Eagles earned all-conference accolades. The next season in 2022-23, the team went 19-10 while an additional three players were named to the all-conference team.
Prior to his time in Charleston, Bent spent two seasons as the director of basketball operations at Denver (2019-21). There, he was responsible for the handling of all logistics of travel, scheduling, meals and lodging for the team on the road. He handled all film and video editing for the team, while also scheduling practice times and setting practice plans throughout the year.
Bent also had a prior stop at Charleston, serving as an assistant coach in 2018-19. That season, he helped lead the Golden Eagles to what was just the second 20-win season in the previous 17 years. As a team, Charleston finished second in the country in field goal percentage with a mark of 52.1 percent from the field, and scored an average of 86.6 points per game, the 18th-highest scoring offense in the country. His responsibilities included perimeter player development, scouting of upcoming opponents, recruiting, social outreach, running the program’s social media accounts, compliance and academics.
Bent spent the 2017-18 season as a graduate assistant at Detroit Mercy under head coach Bacari Alexander. His duties with the Titans included scouting upcoming opponents, creating style of play videos, helping to plan and carry out summer camps, developing the team’s student manager program and leading crowdfunding campaigns.
Bent attended Michigan, where he served as a student manager on John Beilein’s staff for four years (2013-17) and was named the head student manager for his senior year. He performed tasks with the director of basketball operations, director of player personnel, video analyst and graduate manager. He also played an integral role in the development of the student manager program.
A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bent graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2017.
Bent promoted to Assistant Basketball Coach at Utah State
