The rumors had been flying all year, and today, the news broke, Wes Miller is out as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats. Wes had seemingly all of the needed resources to succeed at Cincinnati the past two years, and while both years, he was able to make a run late in the year, the Bearcats fell flat. Cincinnati has an extremely proud legacy, and Wes just could not live up to fan expectations on the sidelines. The most telling example was the blown lead and 66-65 overtime loss to UCF in the Big 12 tournament.
The Miller Era by the Numbers:
- Record: 100-74
- Postseason: 0 NCAA Tournament Appearances
- Peak KenPom: 39 (2023-24)
- Final Game: 66-65 (OT) Loss vs. UCF
Miller departs Cincinnati after five seasons in Cincinnati, his record at Cincinnati was 100-74 (.575). The Bearcats, normally a fixture in the AP top 25 poll, appeared in the media poll just one season (2024-25). Kenpom.com saw the Bearcats finish 101, 50, 39, 55, and they are currently 44 this season. Excluding the two Brannen years for COVID, when you look at the Cronin era, Cincinnati was a perennial top team, staying in the top 45 every year from 2011-2019. The Bearcats will look to get back to the tough, gritty team they can be and change the culture.
I never had the opportunity to directly interact with Wes, but did get to know some individuals around the program during this season, everyone speaks extremely highly regarding him as a person, and I wish him the best as his career moves forward.
With that in mind, I want to point out that as many of you all know, I am not dedicated to the Cincinnati beat consistently; there are plans to change that. I also want to make sure I give you accurate information. If I break something later than others, it’s likely because I’m working behind the scenes to ensure information is accurate.
Josh Schertz
Josh Schertz is the name that I have heard most fans focusing on throughout the season, but news broke today that Schertz signed a significant extension to keep him in Saint Louis this year. While his name was thrown around, it now appears his buyout is massive and he will be staying this offseason.
That leaves two more names I’ve heard, and while there will undoubtedly be others, these were the initial two I was given. Again, as this search unwinds, I will provide updates once I’m able to confirm. I’m not the kind of outlet that is just going to throw things at the wall and hope they stick.
Jerrod Calhoun
Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn
Jerrod Calhoun is the name of this search right now. This year’s MWC Coach of the Year is from Canton, OH and attended Cleveland State for 2 years before moving to Cincinnati, where he was a student assistant under Bob Huggins. He then moved to Walsh as an assistant from 04-07, and then assisted under Huggins at WVU for 5 years. His first head coaching job was at Fairmont State where he spent 5 years, going 124-38 with 4 tournament appearances before moving up to D1. His most impressive season as a coach was a 34-3 season in 2016-17 at Fairmont State where they went 34-3 and were the D2 runner up. Calhoun then spent 7 years at Youngstown State, amassing an impressive 118-106 record in the Horizon League, including taking YSU to a regular season championship in 2022-23. He then moved to Utah State in 2024-25, where he has gone 52-14 in a tough Mountain West Conference. Last year, the Aggies were in the NCAA Tournament (losing in the first round), and this year they’ve already won the MWC regular season title, and will be dancing once the bracket comes out on Sunday. They’re also in the semi-finals of the MWC tournament. If there is a hire that would get the Bearcat faithful going, this is the clear one. His local ties and track record speak for themselves. He has turned programs around at 2 stops, while not missing a step taking over in Logan, UT. This is the most consistent name I’ve heard since January. He was linked to the Kansas State job, but after a longer process, Kansas State went another direction. I’ve heard conflicting reports about how serious he was about taking this position. I can confirm that there is mutual interest here.
Style: Of note, the style Calhoun plays is offense first, and some may like that, but it is a significant shift from the grind the Bearcats are used to, with defense not being a strength for his teams. This year, however, is his first year with a top 150th defense in the nation per kenpom.com, coming in at 55th currently.
Eric Olen
I’ve heard Olen’s name pop up a couple of times recently. I want to add that I’m not quite as high on him being the home-run for Cincinnati as some think, but there are barriers to getting Calhoun, Olen would be a solid second choice. He has wildly exceeded expectations after New Mexico was gutted last year when Richard Pitino left for Xavier, and Donovan Dent transferred out. Olen started at UC San Diego during their transition up, his 2020 season saw the Tritons go 30-1 in DII, winning the CCAA and ranking #4 nationally. He won NABC West Region Coach of the Year honors. He’s been in the D1 level for 6 years, and while it took him a bit, he has turned things around the last couple of seasons. He was a part of the UC San Diego transition up to d1, and year 1 was interrupted with COVID restrictions. He then turned things around, going 21-12 and then 30-5 in his final 2 years at UC San Diego. The 2024-25 season culminated in the Tritons winning the conference regular season, tournament, and a subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. He was one of the hottest mid-major names in the country last cycle, landing at New Mexico and keeping that program at a high level. The Lobos are 23-9 and are playing in the MWC semi-finals. Currently they are a bubble team. It would appear that Olen has figured his identity out, leaning into the defensive side of the ball (30th nationally at UCSD last year, and 43rd nationally this year), while keeping an emphasis on good shots and turning teams over. He would be a solid hire, Olen showed extreme loyalty at UC San Diego, staying there from 2004-2013 as an assistant before being promoted in 2013 and then leaving to head to New Mexico last year. He doesn’t have quite the sustained success Calhoun does, however, his resume is impressive. Despite spending his coaching career on the west coast, he is from Mobile Alabama.
Overall, these are the two names I was immediately given when I asked, however, Cincinnati is going to conduct a national search, and while things will likely move relatively quickly, it’s important to remember that most of the coaches the Bearcats are looking at are still playing, so a public announcement could take some time.
