A handful of names are in the running for the Kansas State Wildcats head coaching search, including Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun. His name is in the conversation for a reason, and he’s separating himself from the rest.
Saying Calhoun is just a candidate in the Wildcats' search is an understatement, and his name doesn’t just top the list. It checks every box.
Jerrod Calhoun emerging in Kansas State head coaching search in 2026
The Utah State Aggies are among the top teams in the Mountain West Conference standings, and not by accident. With only two games left in the regular season, their resume is stacked.
The Aggies’ season has been defined by dominance. Calhoun’s team put together an eight-game win streak spanning from late January through mid-February. It wasn’t full of close games, either.
Five of those wins were by double figure margins, three of them were even blowouts. The biggest margin of conference play also came during that stretch against Wyoming, a game the Aggies won by 32 points.
That kind of success isn’t luck – it’s the direct result of Calhoun’s coaching style. He’s built a team that doesn’t just win, it overwhelms. And it’s not just his Utah State teams that play that style. That trend dates back to his second season at Youngstown State.
In 2018, the Penguins won just 10 games under Calhoun in the Horizon League. The next season, a winning percentage of .375 nearly doubled, reaching .545. Fast forward to 2023, and the team won the regular season title after back-to-back years of not-so-subtle improvement.
It’s no wonder Utah State hired him when they did. Not to mention, the results that followed were immediate.
Calhoun’s Utah State contract makes him a feasible hire for the Wildcats
The Aggies signed Calhoun to an extension ahead of the 2024 season that extends through March of 2029. But the buyout – it’s not unreasonable.
Earlier reports indicate that if he were to leave, the third-year head coach would owe roughly 70% of his remaining salary. If that were to happen later this month, that figure lands at $4.445 million.
Calhoun’s total compensation for the 2025-26 season also sits at $1.85 million, increasing by just under 7% per year. That’s a far cry from former head coach Jerome Tang’s contract, which listed over $3 million per year with a record-setting buyout over $18 million.
Bringing in Calhoun likely wouldn’t require matching those figures, at least not right away. In the Big 12, that kind of financial flexibility matters.
Current head coaches aren’t the only ones in on the coaching carousel action
The likely candidates aren’t the only ones chiming in on the head Wildcats’ coaching search, either. Former Indiana Pacers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest and also Metta World Peace, expressed interest in the role in February.
The likelihood of Sandiford-Artest taking over at Kansas State is unlikely. His name in the conversation, however, is certainly intriguing.
Right now, the search feels centered on Calhoun as someone who can revitalize the Wildcats and restore winning culture to a program that’s felt dormant since 2022. He’s the type of hire that could put the Wildcats on the map for years to come.
Bookmark Jug of Snyder and follow us on X with the username @JugofSnyder and Facebook @ksujugofsnyder.