Here’s the official release from Cincinnati announcing the hiring of Jerrod Calhoun as their new head men’s basketball coach:

Ohio native and University of Cincinnati graduate Jerrod Calhoun has been named the 29th head coach in Cincinnati men’s basketball history, director of athletics John Cunningham announced Tuesday. Calhoun recently completed his ninth season as a Division I head coach – and 14th overall – leading Utah State to a 29-7 record and its second NCAA Tournament in his two seasons at the helm of the Aggies.

The 2026 Mountain West Conference and 2023 Horizon League Coach of the Year has nine 20-win seasons as a head coach and has been a conference champion in three different leagues on his way to a 297-159 career record.

A press conference will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena. The event is open to the public and doors will open at noon.

Calhoun’s deal is a six-year contract, pending board approval. It will pay him $3.7 million in the first year with an annual raise of $100,000.

“Jerrod is a tireless worker, has an incredible passion and talent for developing not just players, but people, and has won at every stop along the way,” Cunningham said. “He’s one of the best offensive minds in college basketball and has the pedigree to take Cincinnati basketball to the next level in the Big 12 and nationally. I’m looking forward to welcoming his wife, Sarah, and children, Jordan, Kennedy, Kendall and Quinn to the Cincinnati family.”

Calhoun went 55-15, including a 30-10 mark in Mountain West play, with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his two seasons in Logan. His Aggies won the Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships in 2026. He has led five All-Mountain West selections in his two seasons, including 2026 Mountain West Player of the Year Mason Falslev.

For the second-straight year, Utah State possessed one of the most efficient offenses in the country, ranking 20th in offensive efficiency a year ago, before improving to 26th this year. However, the Aggies saw a considerable improvement on the defensive end, going from 150th in 2024-25 to 44th in 2025-26. Utah State led the Mountain West and ranked in the top 30 nationally in turnover margin (11th, 3.6), field goal percentage (15th, 49.6), assists per game (17th, 17.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (17th, 1.69), scoring margin (22nd, 11.4) and steals per game (26th, 8.7). The Aggies also led the conference in fastbreak points (13.86) and scoring offense (82.1).

“It is a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Bearcats’ program – one that I know intimately as an alum and hold in the highest regard,” Calhoun said. “I am deeply grateful to John Cunningham and President Neville Pinto for their trust and confidence in me to elevate this program and guide our student-athletes as we pursue championships. Our goal is to build a program that consistently makes Bearcats fans proud, both on and off the court. Sarah, our children and I are excited to get to work at a place that means so much to our family.”

Prior to his time at Utah State, Calhoun spent seven seasons as the head coach at Youngstown State from 2017-24. He guided the Penguins to five-consecutive winning seasons for the first time in their Division I history and led Youngstown State to the postseason three times. He coached 12 All-Horizon League selections and led Youngstown State to consecutive 20-win seasons – the first time in program history – in his final two seasons. Calhoun’s 2023 Youngstown State team won the program’s first Horizon League regular-season championship and the Penguins’ 24 wins that season tied the school record for victories set in 1964.

Calhoun’s first stint as a head coach came at Division II Fairmont State from 2012-17, where he led the Fighting Falcons to a 124-38 (.765) record, garnering 2017 Mountain East Coach of the Year honors. His teams earned four appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament, including a national runner-up finish in 2017, and won at least 20 games in each of his five seasons.

Calhoun spent five years on Bob Huggins’ staff at West Virginia from 2007-12, including four as director of operations and the final season as assistant coach. The Mountaineers went 120-36 with five NCAA Tournament appearances – including the 2010 Final Four and 2008 Sweet 16 – in his five seasons.

Prior to his time in West Virginia, Calhoun was an assistant coach at Walsh University from 2004-07, helping the Cavaliers to an 82-21 record, including the 2005 NAIA National Championship, an Elite Eight in 2006 and a Sweet 16 in 2007.

Calhoun, who is a 2004 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, began his coaching career as a student assistant under Huggins in 2003-04, when the Bearcats went 25-7 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Calhoun played two years of basketball at Cleveland State for head coach Rollie Massimino, earning Dean’s List honors and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board.

He earned four letters at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School in Cleveland and averaged 19.0 points per game his senior year. He graduated as the school record-holder for free-throw percentage and was tabbed Lake County News Herald Player of the Year.
 
Calhoun earned his bachelor’s degree from Cincinnati, majoring in criminal justice and minoring in communications. He is married to the former Sarah McKenna and has a son, Jordan, and three daughters, Kennedy, Kendall and Quinn.