'People need to fear us' UC Bearcats introduce Jerrod Calhoun

[ASFN Admin]

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats introduced their new men's basketball head coach March 25, as Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun replaced Wes Miller.

"People need to fear us in the state of Ohio," Calhoun said. "It's the best basketball job in the state of Ohio, and I think it truly is."

Calhoun led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament round of 32. Utah State defeated Villanova before losing to top-seeded Arizona.

In two seasons at Utah State, Calhoun's record was 55-15.


Calhoun was a student assistant under Bob Huggins at UC during the 2003–2004 season.

"Calhoun is going to be great walking the sidelines at UC," former Bearcats great Nick Van Exel tweeted after Utah State's round of 64 win. "Offense is great. Lots of ball/body movement and paint touches. And he gets the history of the program and understands that the UC vs x is a rivalry and not just another game."

Social media reactions, including from Van Exel:

@USUCoachCalhoun congrats. Welcome back. @GoBEARCATS

— Nick Van Exel (@vanexel31) March 23, 2026

Utah State officials and the team have been notified of Jerrod Calhoun’s departure to Cincinnati, per ESPN sources. Per his contract, Utah State will be owed nearly $3.9 million, which the school plans to use for potential candidates and the NIL pool for next year. https://t.co/xzn0EimUGk

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 24, 2026

If he coaches like these two played! Dammit I’m excited to see what the future holds for us. Great Pic with two of my favorite Bearcats pic.twitter.com/etyfqDQPhT

— C. Blount (@CorieBlount) March 23, 2026

"I think he's a hell of a coach."

The UC basketball alumni text chain is poppin' off on a big day for the Bearcats.

Terry Nelson took a break from texting to talk about why he likes the hiring of Jerrod Calhoun.

You can watch here: https://t.co/JZRMiktqZTpic.twitter.com/vWGQyiS6P5

— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) March 23, 2026

Jerrod Calhoun.

- 2004 Cincinnati graduate
- Last four seasons, total wins at YSU/USU: 24, 22, 26, 29
- Last four seasons, Conference wins at YSU/USU: 15, 14, 15, 15
- 2023 Horizon League Regular Season Title
- 2025 At Large Bid - Utah St
- 2026 MWC Double Champ, R32 NCAAT https://t.co/zcX0zy56vQ

— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) March 23, 2026

Breaking news: Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun has agreed to be the next coach at Cincinnati and will return to his alma mater, sources told @CBSSports. Calhoun, 44, just took USU to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. He'd been Cincy's top target for weeks. https://t.co/lSlWHw71aB

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 23, 2026

You must be registered for see images

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jerrod Calhoun says people need to fear Cincinnati Bearcats basketball

Continue reading...