Utah State coach discusses his uncertain future after Aggies' NCAA tourney exit

Utah State basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun says continuity is key to winning at the mid-major level.

“You’ve got to have continuity. You look at some of the mid-major teams that are winning, and they’ve got continuity,” he said on Thursday night. “... If you can get guys multiple years, you’ve got a chance to make a run.”

But is Calhoun looking to make that run in Logan?

As the Aggies’ season came to an end with a 72-47 loss against UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it remains to be seen whether USU will get multiple years with its head coach.

Calhoun, the Aggies’ third head coach in as many years, has been rumored to be a candidate for the vacant West Virginia job. The 43-year-old spent five years there as an assistant earlier in his career. Even if the Mountaineers gig isn’t on the table, Calhoun undoubtedly has options on where to coach next season after quickly rebuilding Utah State’s roster and leading the team to 26 wins.

“There’s a lot to really digest from the season. There’s a ton to learn,” Calhoun said when asked directly about his future. “... “I think you’ve got to reflect, figure out where we’re going collectively and try to do it.”

In the wake of Thursday’s defeat, Calhoun laid out some of his concerns and hopes for the Utah State program — but he did not make any promises about returning to Logan.

The coach has said he believes he can win — and win big — in Cache Valley.

“I think at Utah State you can win a national championship. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it,” Calhoun reiterated Thursday.

In a recent interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Calhoun detailed his hopes for a new contract. And on Thursday night, he seemed to indicate that he’d been presented with some sort of new deal. “I was just offered a tremendous opportunity by [Athletic Director Diana Sabau] and the staff really in the last 24 hours,” he said.

Calhoun said he was optimistic about next season’s roster, saying, “We’ve got five kids coming in that I think can really play. And you see what type of talent we can have coming back.”

But Calhoun also expressed a need for more name, image and likeness funds to remain competitive as Utah State prepares to transition from the Mountain West Conference to the rebuilt Pac-12 in the coming years.

“The one thing that has changed is the NIL,” he said. “You’re looking at Big Ten teams now spending upwards of $9 million to 10 million, you’re looking at the SEC spending between $5 million and $10 million for rosters.”

Utah State’s struggles with UCLA’s size and athleticism on Thursday night only further highlighted the need to spend, the coach said.

“We’ve got to get bigger on the front line,” Calhoun said. “We’ve got to spend more money in the NIL to get a forward, to get a center, to get athletic guys. Because when you get into the NCAA’s tournament, that’s what you see.”

Calhoun said he was encouraged by Utah State’s recent NIL fundraising efforts.

But he stopped short of making his future plans known on Thursday night.

“I think right now I want to continue to just talk about the game,” he said.