Bob Huggins Praises Cincinnati for Hiring Jerrod Calhoun

As Jerrod Calhoun prepares to begin the next chapter of his coaching journey, his mentor shared a few words about what his old assistant. Bob Huggins praised Cincinnati for hiring Calhoun in a statement released by the school as part of their promotion of a new era for the Bearcats.

“Jerrod Calhoun is one of the top young coaches in college basketball and a great fit for the University of Cincinnati. He started with me as a student assistant with the Bearcats and later worked on my staff in West Virginia, where he helped us reach the Final Four,” said Huggins about Calhoun.

“He’s earned everything he’s gotten. Jerrod works, he connects with people and he knows how to build a program. I’ve enjoyed watching his growth over the years and I’m proud of what he’s accomplished. Cincinnati is getting a great coach.”

Calhoun’s track record speaks for itself, but having the endorsement of a legendary coaching figure in the school’s history certainly helps get his Cincinnati tenure started the right way.

Prior to leaving Utah State for Cincinnati, Calhoun won his first NCAA Tournament game as a head coach during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Calhoun then mentioned West Virginia after his career milestone.

“Everybody’s stories, everybody’s paths, all of you guys here had to take some risks, had to take some chances. Mine was leaving West Virginia to take a Division II job,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun, 44, started at WVU in 2008 as the director of basketball operations for four years before earning a role as an assistant coach in 2011 under Bob Huggins. Despite having major success, including a 120-36 record at WVU and a trip to the Final Four, Calhoun took a risk in deciding to bet on himself and leave.

“I don’t know if there’s another coach in the country that would have done that. We had a $30 million practice facility in the Big East, and I wanted to be a head coach,” Calhoun said. “I went down the road to Fairmont State and started my journey with Joe Mazzulla and Paul Molinary and Mantras Robinson and here we are.”

Calhoun owns a 297–159 overall record as a head coach and a 1-2 mark in the NCAA Tournament. He led Utah State to the Mountain West regular season and tournament title this past season and Youngstown State to the Horizon League championship in 2023.

Find more coverage of Bob Huggins at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, a Bob Huggins documentary is on the way.