Utah State HC Jerrod Calhoun Reflects on Leaving WVU After Milestone Win

Calhoun's first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach was a long time coming after taking a risk to become a DII head coach.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:19pm

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Utah State basketball head coach Jerrod Calhoun reached a career milestone on Saturday, picking up his first win as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament with an 86-76 victory over Villanova. Calhoun reflected on the risk he took in leaving his assistant coaching job at West Virginia to become the head coach at Division II Fairmont State in 2013, a decision that he says set him up for success.

Why it matters

Calhoun's journey from a successful assistant at a major program to taking a chance on a smaller Division II school shows the challenges and risks coaches sometimes have to take to achieve their goal of becoming a head coach. His first NCAA Tournament win validates that risk-taking and demonstrates that unconventional paths can lead to success.

The details

Calhoun was an assistant coach at West Virginia from 2011 to 2013, helping the Mountaineers to a 120-36 record and a trip to the Final Four. Despite this success, he decided to leave the Big East program to become the head coach at Division II Fairmont State. Calhoun said he didn't know if there was another coach who would have made that same decision, given the resources and success he was experiencing at WVU.

  • Calhoun was the head coach at Youngstown State for seven seasons prior to taking the Utah State job.
  • Calhoun left his assistant coaching position at West Virginia in 2013 to become the head coach at Fairmont State.

The players

Jerrod Calhoun

The head coach of the Utah State basketball team who previously served as an assistant coach at West Virginia.

Bob Huggins

The head coach of the West Virginia basketball team during Calhoun's time as an assistant.

Joe Mazzulla

An assistant coach who joined Calhoun at Fairmont State.

Paul Molinary

An assistant coach who joined Calhoun at Fairmont State.

Mantras Robinson

An assistant coach who joined Calhoun at Fairmont State.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Jerrod Calhoun, Head Coach, Utah State

“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. 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.”

— Jerrod Calhoun, Head Coach, Utah State

“It's not about me at this point, It's about surviving and advance. But that was the turning point for me. And I always dreamed of this watching guys like Jay Wright and all the great coaches in the NCAA Tournament. To get the first one, it's special, but hopefully we get many more.”

— Jerrod Calhoun, Head Coach, Utah State

What’s next

Utah State will face Big 12 powerhouse Arizona at 7:50 p.m. Sunday in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Calhoun's journey from a successful assistant at a major program to taking a chance on a smaller Division II school shows the challenges and risks coaches sometimes have to take to achieve their goal of becoming a head coach. His first NCAA Tournament win validates that risk-taking and demonstrates that unconventional paths can lead to success.