James Crisp, Associated Press
Utah State may have some kind of stability leading its men’s basketball program.
CBS analyst Jon Rothstein reports the Aggies are finalizing a new contract with Jerrod Calhoun to keep him as the program’s head coach. Rothstein posted his report to social media site X early Tuesday morning; no official announcement had been made as of Tuesday afternoon.
Calhoun just finished his first season in Logan, leading the Aggies to a 26-8 record which included a 15-5 mark and a third-place finish in the competitive Mountain West. USU got an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and, as a 10-seed, took a blowout loss to seven-seed UCLA.
Utah State hired Calhoun in 2024 after the coach led Youngstown State for seven seasons. Calhoun was heavily rumored as a top candidate for the opening at West Virginia, where he’d previously spent five seasons as an assistant coach.
Such an extension would keep Utah State from having to hire a new head coach for the fourth time in the last five years. After Craig Smith concluded his three years in Logan by taking the same job at Utah, the Aggies hired Ryan Odom, who coached USU for two seasons, and Danny Sprinkle, who led the Aggies for only the 2023-24 season before leaving to Washington.
Rothstein’s report says USU’s new deal with Calhoun will make him the second-best paid coach in the Mountain West behind San Diego State’s Brian Dutcher.
Calhoun, 43, told The Salt Lake Tribune heading into the NCAA Tournament that USU had offered him “a tremendous opportunity” regarding a new contract.
Former Fremont High and Utah State football player Nick Vigil has received recognition from the Utah Chapter of the National Football Foundation, including at a banquet Tuesday night.
The chapter is giving Vigil its “Distinguished American Award.” Past winners of that award include Steve Young, Bobby Wagner, Kyle Van Noy, Eric Weddle, Steve Smith, Andy Reid and more.
The linebacker has played nine seasons in the NFL with five teams, most recently with Dallas in 2024.
Haloti Ngata is receiving the group’s Contribution to Amateur Football award. High school coach Bill Jacobsen (Bear River, Pine View, Snow Canyon) and official Kelly Holman are each receiving an Outstanding Service to Amateur Football in Utah award.
BYU men’s basketball is hosting a watch party for its Sweet 16 game against Alabama. The team posted it will open doors to the Marriott Center at 4 p.m. Thursday ahead of the game, which is scheduled to tip off just after 5 p.m.
The team posted admission is free and interested fans should arrive through portals F through L.
Alex Jensen is currently putting together his staff for University of Utah men’s basketball and a new report has the Utes targeting an NBA front-office veteran as the program’s general manager.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel posted Tuesday to X that Utah is targeting Wes Wilcox to take the role. Wilcox is the current assistant general manager of the Sacramento Kings. In two decades in the NBA, he’s also been general manager for the Atlanta Hawks. Thamel reports he’d be the highest-ranking NBA front-office worker to move into a GM role in college.
In college sports, general manager roles vary but typically involve some combination of overseeing NIL contributions and payments, transfer portal management, fundraising and more.
BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was named to the Board of Trustees for the American Football Coaches Association, the group announced Monday.
The Board formulates policy and provides direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others.
Sitake joins Jas Bains (Western Colorado), Jamey Chadwell (Liberty), Rhett Lashlee (SMU), Jeff Monken (Army), Lance Taylor (Western Michigan) and Jerheme Urbun (Trinity) as new members to the Board. Returning members are Bobby Hauck (Montana, board president), James Franklin (Penn State), Jim Catanzaro (Lake Forest College) and Steve Ryan (Morningside University).
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