Reports: Jerrod Calhoun Finalizing Deal To Remain At Utah State

Jerrod Calhoun, who led the Aggies to a 26-8 record and their third-straight NCAA tournament berth in his first season as the head coach in Logan, is finalizing a deal with Utah State that would keep him in town for the 2025-26 season and make him the second-highest paid coach in the Mountain West behind San Diego State's Brian Dutcher, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. Utah State and Calhoun have not responded to The Aggship's requests for confirmation.

As noted by both Rothstein and Goodman, his decision to return will likely come with a hefty bump to his salary and the program's salary pool for assistant coaches, as offered in a contract addendum presented to the 43-year-old head coach late last week ahead of Utah State's NCAA tournament loss to UCLA. The Aggship can not yet confirm that Calhoun has signed that addendum, which he referenced extensively when asked about his status following that game, but has filed a GRAMA request with Utah State.

"I will talk about it," Calhoun said. "First of all, I have a ton of respect for our Athletic Director. Diana took a gamble on me. We didn't know each other. We had no relationship, no previous relationship, and did not know each other at all. The first time I flew out to Utah State was in April. I can remember getting off the plane and seeing those mountains, and it was just hard to describe, the scenery. Instantly we had a connection. There was a really good plan. I met with every single player.

"This year has been unbelievable. I have learned to understand the West Coast. We started to recruit the West Coast. We have five kids who are coming in that can really play. You see what type of talent we can have coming back. I was just offered a tremendous opportunity by Diana and the staff over the last 24 hours. I think right now I want to just kind of continue to talk about the game, but, I think at Utah State you can win a national championship. I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it."

In addition to the jump in financial support for the program internally, Calhoun spent much of his first season in Logan spreading awareness and raising funds for the Blue A Collective, Utah State's official NIL sponsor, which has enjoyed considerable growth over the last year. At a March 17 donor event that featured Calhoun, athletic director Diana Sabau and first-year head football coach Bronco Mendenhall among others, the Blue A Collective raised upward of $1 million for its coffers – a crucial boost with the men's basketball transfer portal now officially open, several key players to retain, and a few vacancies for Calhoun and Co. to fill with newcomers.

"One thing that has changed is the NIL," Calhoun said last week. "You're looking at Big Ten teams now spending upwards of $9, $10 million. You're looking at the SEC spending between $5, $8 and $10 million for rosters. I think one thing we have done a tremendous job of... if Diana was not the athletic director, and (if not for) our staff and Nick (Eliason) and Eric Laub, and the support we have, we wouldn't make those jumps and those gains in NIL. There's a lot to digest, I think, from the season. There is a ton to learn, not only (about) the Mountain West, but (about) what the Pac-12 (will) look like. What's Gonzaga going to look like? What are some of these teams, when you get in a tournament setting?

"I don't consider us a mid-major. I consider us a mid-plus. In two years, we're going to be as close to a power four as possible. You have to have continuity. You're looking at the mid-major teams that are winning, they have continuity. And I've said that all along. If you can get guys (for) multiple years, you have a chance to make a run. We threw this thing together in a very short period of time, in about a month. I think we have to reflect, figure out where we're going collectively and try to do it... We had an event the other night, we raised $1 million in one night. Last year, we didn't have that. We didn't have that for the entire roster. I think that shows the commitment from our university and the commitment from Cache Valley. The awareness is very real."

Calhoun's decision to remain at Utah State comes on the heels of a whirlwind week brought about by the departure of head coach Darian DeVries from West Virginia, where he was hired just a year prior, for the same position at Indiana. Calhoun spent half a decade as an assistant in Morgantown under Bob Huggins from 2007-12, another five years as the head coach at nearby Fairmont State from 2012-17, and has extensive ties to the region, making him an obvious inclusion on any coaching search lists for the Mountaineers. He was indeed a candidate, just as he was a year ago during the search that ultimately landed on DeVries, but Mike Casazza of EerSports reported on Tuesday morning that Calhoun is no longer in the running for that position.

There is, for Calhoun and Co., little time to celebrate the news. The transfer portal officially opened at midnight on March 24, and Utah State has plenty of work to do as it begins to build its 2025-26 roster.

Per The Portal Report, the Aggies have already expressed interest in a trio of MAC transfers – Buffalo guard/wing Anquan Boldin Jr., Toledo guard Seth Hubbard and Western Michigan forward Markhi Strickland – and were also listed by Sam Kayser as one of several programs to reach out to Charlotte guard Nik Graves, who had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Nov. 9 meeting between the Aggies and 49ers. Sources indicate to The Aggship that Utah State has made contact with at least two transfer centers. Signing up a viable starting big man has long been viewed as a critical piece for this portal class, which will arrive alongside the highest-touted high school recruiting class in program history ahead of summer workouts.

"The difference is the size," Calhoun said on March 20. "One thing we have learned – and we've talked to our collective people about this, we've talked as a staff continually about this – is we have to get bigger, and what I mean by that is on the frontline. We have to spend more money in the NIL to get a forward, a center, and athletic guys, because when you get in the NCAA tournament, that's what you see.

"We won't see 7-3, but I'm talking about 6-10, protecting the rim, shot-blocking, finishing around the basket. We have to get there, it's one thing we have to get. I think we will be able to do that. We had a record night last week in our NIL. The portal opens on Monday. It's going to be very, very active."