9 potential candidates to replace Wes Miller at Cincinnati

After another underwhelming season, Cincinnati basketball has undergone a major change, relieving Wes Miller of his head coaching duties. Miller had spent five seasons trying to reshape this Bearcats program, but now the university will refocus on their next leader and new attempts to return to basketball relevance. 

While not revered for his playing career, Miller was a member of the North Carolina team that won the national championship back in 2005. The former point guard briefly played overseas but basically got right into coaching. He had brief stints at a few schools before really catching on at UNC Greensboro. Miller was thrust into a major promotion as interim head coach and would spend nearly a decade reshaping the program, taking the Spartans to two NCAA Tournaments and a boatload of wins in his final seasons.

Cincinnati came calling in 2021, as he inherited a program in tough shape after the brief tenure of John Brannen. Miller immediately got to work, notching 23 wins in his second season before guiding the Bearcats into the Big 12. While his teams had decent records, he never quite got over the hump, failing to reach the Big Dance even once in Cincinnati. His recent teams were full of talent and underwhelmed and the Bearcats are now looking in a new direction.

During the 2010s this basketball program appeared in nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments and was dynamic contenders in both the Big East and AAC. The Bearcats now hunt for that new leader who can turn this program into a realistic contending team in the Big 12 and navigate both NIL and the changing atmosphere in college sports. We're looking at a few names we believe should be contenders for this opening.

Jerrod Calhoun

Likely an early favorite for the opening, Calhoun was a guard at Cleveland State before graduating from Cincinnati back in 2004. He was an early aide under Bob Huggins both there and at West Virginia before achieving his own head coaching success. Calhoun did great work at the D2 level with Fairmont State an engineered success for a dormant Youngstown State program. During these last two seasons as head coach at Utah State, Calhoun has continued a winning culture and certainly looks ready for a power conference job, especially one like this.

Bryce Drew

Known initially for that March Madness buzzer beater, Drew has become quite the commodity in his coaching career. He succeeded his father Homer at Valparaiso and made a few NCAA Tournaments before flaming out in a brief stint at Vanderbilt. Since 2020 Drew has had an excellent bounce back to relevance with Grand Canyon, taking those Antelopes to the first four trips to the Big Dance in program history. It’s about time Drew gets a second shot running a power conference program and he’d be an interesting fit for the Bearcats.

John Groce

If you’re looking in the state of Ohio then it’s impossible to ignore what Groce has accomplished just up the road. A former Thad Matta disciple, including at Ohio State, Groce won three NCAA Tournament games during a 4-year stretch at Ohio and has done brilliant work since landing at Akron in 2017. In between those MAC stints he had a forgettable 5-year run at Illinois but he’s another coach who looks more than ready for a second chance. It’s impossible to ignore the great work he’s done in the state of Ohio at several programs, especially with three recent trips to the Big Dance with the Zips.

Bryan Hodgson

You’ll heard Hodgson named in virtually every prominent opening and it’s not hard to see why. The 38-year old gained attention for his work with Nate Oats, helping him concoct success on staff at both Buffalo and Alabama before starting his own head coaching career. In just three years as a head coach, Hodgson has built a turnaround at Arkansas State and already has South Florida as the top team in the American in his first season. Cincinnati certainly would love a quick turnaround and to contend in the Big 12.

Luke Murray

If head coaching experience isn’t a necessity than Murray sure should get a look for this opening. One of the nation’s most successful recruiters and prominent assistants, he’s worked nearly two decades on D1 staffs, with some relevant years at nearby Xavier. He worked there with Chris Mack as well as at Louisville and has been a major part of UConn’s success since rejoining Dan Hurley five years ago. After a half-decade in Storrs it certainly seems like it’s time for Murray to run his own show, though some tentativeness is understandable in hiring someone with zero head coaching background.

Takayo Siddle

Five years ago, Cincinnati hired a young up and coming coach from a state school in North Carolina and bringing Siddle on board would be repeating history. A former player and assistant at Gardner-Webb, Siddle spent several years under Kevin Keatts before taking over at UNC Wilmington back in 2020. He’s taken the Seahawks to a ton of victories, a few CAA titles, and a trip to last season’s NCAA Tournament and is certainly someone ready for the next level. It’s all about if the fit is right for both sides and the former ACC assistant seems like someone who could succeed in Cincinnati.

Tony Skinn

After starring on George Mason’s Final Four team in 2006, Skinn played overseas for a number of years but has had something of a meteoric rise in his own coaching endeavors. He was a collegiate assistant for only eight years before getting the head job at George Mason in 2023. His work on staff at Seton Hall, Ohio State, and Maryland have helped shape him, but he’s also taken his alma mater to 70 wins and A-10 success in his first three seasons. If he’s ready to leave the Patriots then he could architect something special in Cincinnati in the years ahead.

Nolan Smith

This isn’t a name you won’t see popping up for most people but Smith could be a sneaky good hire for the Bearcats or some other notable program this offseason. A former point guard at Duke who won a national title in 2010, Smith played briefly in the NBA but has been a prominent coach in college ball over the last decade. He was a big piece of the puzzle for six years at his alma mater and did notable work for Louisville and Memphis before taking Tennessee State’s head coaching job last offseason. In his first year he has already taken the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament, showing he has the acumen to make a difference at a bigger program someday soon.

Travis Steele

Our final name today is both a sensible and incredible inclusion. Steele spent 14 years at Xavier, including a stint as head coach that didn’t end well for either side. Prior to that he did also work at Ohio State under Thad Matta, but these aren’t the reasons why he’s a solid candidate. The work Steele has done at Miami-Ohio has been top-notch, taking the RedHawks to a perfect regular season this year. If we somehow don’t see the RedHawks in the Big Dance then that might encourage Steele to bail and he’s certainly familiar living, working, and recruiting in the city of Cincinnati.