Utah State keeps the winning carousel spinning in second season under Calhoun

PHOENIX (AP) — Utah State has become a stepping stone for coaches who parlay winning into jobs at bigger programs.

Craig Smith, Ryan Odom and Danny Sprinkle all coached in Logan, all went on to other jobs, yet are all still connected to the program.

“We're all very close,” current Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “When you get a job, the first thing you want to do is know the ins and outs of the program. They bend over backwards.”

The coaches' connection has been a big part of the Aggies' consistent success.

Stew Morrill set the standard, taking Utah State to the NCAA Tournament eight times between 1998-2011. The program went through a bit of a lull toward the end of Morrill's tenure and in three years under Tim Duryea but has become one of the most consistent mid-major programs since 2018.

The Aggies went to the NCAA Tournament twice in three seasons under Smith, who parlayed his success into the job at Utah. Odom kept the Aggies rolling, taking them to the NCAA Tournament in his second season, leading to his current job at Virginia.

Sprinkle lasted just one season in Logan, but it was a good one: Utah State won 28 games and knocked off TCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before he took the head job at Washington.

Calhoun has kept the winning carousel spinning.

He led Youngstown State to consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time before becoming Utah State's coach in 2024. The Aggies had 26 wins to reach the NCAA Tournament in his first season, and they're on a roll again this year.

Utah State opened 15-1 for the third straight season and was ranked No. 23 before Saturday's 84-74 loss at Grand Canyon.

“We move the ball very well as a team and when we move the ball, we're very good,” Utah State graduate guard Drake Allen said.

The Aggies have been good offensively since Smith's tenure, but this season they took a big leap on the defensive end.

Utah State is better in nearly every defensive category from a year ago, holding teams to nearly three points less per game while forcing an average of 15.2 turnovers.

“Just being very intentional in the offseason about studying, where we can get better when we need to,” Calhoun said. “If you’re going to win in this era, you kind of have to know how you want to play and then you've got to get those guys in the portal.”

Utah State got a big boost from the transfer portal with the addition of MJ Collins Jr.

The 6-foot-4 guard started his career at Virginia Tech and played last season at Vanderbilt, where he averaged 7.4 points in 32 games.

Collins had made a huge jump this season, playing with confidence and in a system that fits his style of play. He has boosted his scoring average to a Mountain West Conference-best 19.6 points per game while leading the league in shooting at 55% from the floor. He is 15th nationally in 3-point shooting at 44% and, combined with do-it-all guard Mason Falslev, gives Utah State one of the Mountain West's best backcourts.

“When we got him, we knew he’d be really good, but I’d be lying to say we thought you’d be averaging 20 a game,” Calhoun said. “I think the system fits him really well.”

The system has worked for everyone in Logan. Calhoun and his predecessors have made sure of that.

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