Jump shots with Jerrod: USU’s new men’s basketball head coach

Utah State men’s basketball has been the pride and joy of Utah State athletics over the last several years. This is impressive considering Utah State basketball has gone through four head coaches in the last five seasons. After Craig Smith left to be the head coach at the University of Utah in 2021, Ryan Odom came to town as his replacement. After just two short seasons, Odom left for VCU and Danny Sprinkle was brought in. In an even shorter stint, Sprinkle was hired at Washington this offseason after just one season in Logan.

With the exit of Sprinkle, the head coach search ramped up for the Aggies for the second time in as many seasons. After a search that has become all too familiar for the USU athletic department, Jerrod Calhoun was hired on March 30, 2024.

“Jerrod Calhoun embodies all the qualities we are looking for as the next leader of our men’s basketball program,” said Utah State Director of Athletics Diana Sabau at the time of his hire. “He is energetic, enthusiastic, a player’s coach and is motivated to keep our current student-athletes in Logan. He is a formidable recruiter, an exceptional motivator and has a keen understanding of the competitive nature of NIL and will be a great partner in growing the Blue A Collective.”

Calhoun came to Logan after spending the previous seven season as the head basketball coach at Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio. In his last two season with the YSU Penguins, Calhoun led the team to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in their Division I history, a regular season Horizon League championship and a postseason appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. 

Calhoun looks to continue his upward trend while leading a USU basketball program that’s become familiar with winning teams and postseason appearances in recent years. Despite spending his last seven seasons in Ohio, the Utah State program is not entirely foreign to Calhoun.

“I probably watched over half of their games last year, so I knew the roster inside and out. I had followed Utah State basketball from afar for a number of years. I love what Stew Morrill used to run with the two-guard series, I loved a lot of the actions Craig Smith and Ryan Odom ran. I really studied those guys from a basketball standpoint,” Calhoun said in an interview with The Utah Statesman. “Had great respect for Utah State in general and the history that they’ve had for a long, long time. And those are the programs that you study and you can learn a ton from. I just love the way they played over the years.”

That history at Utah State has not come without some turbulence, especially from the head coaching perspective. Three head coaches in three years is not ideal for any program and certainly takes its toll. On Calhoun’s first game in the Spectrum in an exhibition game against Weber State in mid-October, he was initially denied entrance by the security guard who didn’t know who he was. 

“I was walking in the building today, and the security lady didn’t know who I was. She said, ‘Who are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m the head coach, and I’ve got to get into the Spectrum,” Calhoun said after the game. 

Luckily for the Aggies, the constant head coaching turnover has been a result of resounding success on the court and continual postseason play. In the last four seasons, Utah State has won two conference championships and made the NCAA Tournament three times and the NIT once. The winning culture that has been created at Utah State brings some natural pressure to Calhoun in his first year. Even with the pressure and the expectations, Calhoun is ready for the challenge. 

“I think you have to want those expectations. You have to approach it every day with a sense of urgency,” Calhoun said. “Whether it’s in recruiting, whether it’s in fundraising, whether it’s time with your players, your practices, there has to be a real level of commitment across the board from the entire coaching staff, the entire organization.”

The expectation and pressure to win will only increase in the coming years, with Utah State’s move to the PAC-12 coming in 2026. A conference that has historically been football-focused is now shaping up to be one of the stronger basketball conferences in the country with perennial NCAA Tournament teams such as San Diego State, Utah State and Gonzaga.  

“I think it’s exciting. It keeps us on the west coast — I think it really helps our fan base be able to watch the games and travel to games and our [player’s] parents,” Calhoun said.  

Calhoun has a big task ahead of him in preparing to enter the PAC-12, but he knows what needs to be accomplished long term. For the short term, he is just excited to get settled in the valley and get acquainted with the university.  

“I think our campus is one of the most beautiful campuses in the entire country — really, just the culture, the people are so nice and really go out of their way to make you feel welcome. It’s one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been,” Calhoun said.  

The Calhoun family consists of Jerrod, his wife Sarah, their son Jordan and their daughters Kennedy, Kendall and Quinn. Calhoun and his wife live in the valley with their daughters while their older son no longer lives at home. Despite the unknowns of moving, Calhoun and his family have enjoyed their newfound home in Cache Valley. 

“I just fell in love with Logan when I came out for the in-person interview. I thought it was just a beautiful place, and my family and I have got adjusted so well,” Calhoun said. 

In addition to the beautiful views, part of Calhoun’s excitement for the challenge of being the new Aggie head coach is the excitement that he can feel from the community.  

“They really love basketball here, and that was a big part of me really wanting this job,” Calhoun said. “We have one of the elite fan bases in the country. I think there’s a real care factor. Our community really rallies around all the teams. The environment that’s created at every sporting event and the support amongst all the coaches — I would say it’s just top notch.” 

Calhoun will get his first taste of regular season basketball in the Spectrum and the love of Aggie hoops as Utah State welcomes Alcorn State to Logan on Wednesday night. The Aggie faithful will have a chance to get their first regular season look at their new head coach as well.  

For those dedicated fans, Wednesday’s game brings another new season, yet another new coach, another new team and hopefully, another winning season crowned by another postseason appearance.