Wes Miller's Coaching Seat 'Scorching Hot' Entering Final Stretch of 2025-26 Season

Cincinnati is 14-12 this season and has yet to make the NCAA Tournament in Wes Miller's five-year tenure.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 9:15pm

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Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller's job is in jeopardy as the team struggles to make the NCAA Tournament this season. The Bearcats are 14-12 overall and 1-9 in Quad 1 games, with a home loss to Eastern Michigan. Miller was considered a rising star at UNC Greensboro, but has yet to lead Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament despite ample resources. The team's poor performance this season has put Miller's job in a "scorching hot" situation, according to The Athletic's Brendan Marks.

Why it matters

Cincinnati is a basketball-focused program with high expectations, and the team's lack of success under Wes Miller has raised questions about his future as head coach. The Bearcats have not made the NCAA Tournament in Miller's five-year tenure, and their struggles this season, including a home loss to a low-ranked opponent, have put significant pressure on the coach.

The details

Cincinnati is currently on a three-game winning streak in the Big 12, but they'll need to stack a lot more wins to take the pressure off of Wes Miller. The Bearcats have a 1% chance of making the NCAA Tournament this season, according to JThom Analytics, and would need at least six more wins to even sneak onto the bubble. With four of their final five regular-season games falling into the Quad 1 category, it will be a tall task for the team to make a late-season push.

  • Cincinnati has yet to make the NCAA Tournament in Wes Miller's five-year tenure.
  • The Bearcats are 14-12 overall and 1-9 in Quad 1 games this season.

The players

Wes Miller

The head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team, who was considered a rising star at UNC Greensboro but has yet to lead Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament despite ample resources.

Brendan Marks

A writer for The Athletic who assessed the hot-seat levels for coaches around the country and placed Wes Miller's seat at a "scorching" level.

Jalen Celestine

A Cincinnati player who has helped the team play much better since getting fully healthy.

Jizzle James

A Cincinnati player who has found his old form, contributing to the team's improved play.

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What they’re saying

“At least Big 12 coaches verbalize when things aren't working. After Cincinnati's home loss to West Virginia earlier this month, Miller apologized to fans for the team's 'unacceptable' performance while maintaining that the program has a higher standard. But the Bearcats haven't reached that bar in some time.”

— Brendan Marks, Writer

What’s next

Cincinnati probably has to make this NCAA Tournament to save Wes Miller's job, given the high expectations and investment for this program in recent years. The deck is fully stacked against that hope.

The takeaway

Wes Miller's job as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats is in serious jeopardy as the team struggles to meet the high expectations of the program. Despite being considered a rising star, Miller has yet to lead Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament in his five-year tenure, and the team's poor performance this season, including a home loss to a low-ranked opponent, has put significant pressure on the coach.