3 coaches in 3 seasons equals the same reward with Utah State back in March Madness

By Canadian Press on March 20, 2025.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Reaching March Madness is hard any season. Going back-to-back takes some doing, especially with the transfer portal along with name, image and likeness in the mix.

All of which makes Utah State’s latest NCAA Tournament berth especially impressive.

The 10th-seeded Aggies (26-7) are back for the third consecutive March with a first-year coach. This time Jerrod Calhoun is in charge after Danny Sprinkle left for Washington last spring once he guided the Mountain West Conference school to the second round. Ryan Odom took the Aggies to the Big Dance two years ago and last week earned the Atlantic 10 championship at VCU.

“Certainly, college basketball has changed,” Calhoun said Wednesday, thanking athletic director Diana Sabau for the opportunity after going 118-106 in seven seasons with the 2023 Horizon League regular-season title at Youngstown State.

“You have to have a very, very good plan. You have to have partnership. I was very fortunate that (Sabau) took a gamble on a coach that really had no ties to the West Coast. … If you can relate to the players, you can be there for them, you can hear their stories and have a system that works inside that league. Every job is different. You have to have a strategic plan.”

The Aggies are just the second program to reach three consecutive NCAA Tournaments with three different coaches. Southern Illinois achieved the feat from 2003-05 with Bruce Weber, Matt Painter and Chris Lowery on the sidelines, respectively.

Granted, Calhoun inherited a solid nucleus with five returnees including a backcourt featuring fifth-year senior Ian Martinez (16.8 points per game) and sophomore Mason Falslev (14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds).

The coach also hit the portal and recruiting trail adding nine players including graduate guard Dexter Akanno (8.3 points) and 6-foot-11 Aubin Gateretse.

Six players average at least six points per contest for the Aggies, who also have a good mix of youth that sets up nicely for next season. What’s clear is that change has never hurt chemistry.

“One thing that’s been similar with all three teams is the way we get along on and off the court,” said Falslev, whose 2.33 steals per game rank 13th nationally.

“I think we have the same type of bond this year. We all get along. We all want the best for each other. We all want each other to succeed. So I think that’s the common denominator.”

That collective effort has helped Utah State enter Thursday night’s Midwest Region opener against No. 7 seed UCLA (22-10) tied for 29th nationally at 80.9 points per game. The Aggies are 14th nationally in shooting at nearly 49% per outing, while their scoring margin of nearly 11 points is tied for 20th.

USU is among three Mountain West schools in this year’s tournament, showing depth. Having broken a nine-game tournament drought dating to 2001 last spring, the Aggies’ objective is starting strong again.

For his part Calhoun sounds eager to create sideline stability beyond March. He gushed about Utah State recently raising $1 million for NIL in one night, a sign of commitment to the program.

Calhoun aims to reward that with a victory against one of college basketball’s blue bloods and send out his veterans at the highest level.

“I’ve been a head coach for 13 years,” he said. “You put a lot of time, a lot of sacrifice on your family, a lot of recruiting trips, a lot of individual workouts, skilled instruction, a lot of meetings. There is a ton that goes into college basketball, especially with the portal and NIL.

“We’ve got three seniors. This is their last go. I want to do everything I can in my power to put them into a good position to go make plays and be confident. We owe it to those guys.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Gary B. Graves, The Associated Press