Sources: YSU to hire national runner-up Calhoun as men’s basketball coach

[IAA Fan]

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Sports Team 27 has learned that Jerrod Calhoun is expected to be officially named the next men’s basketball coach at Youngstown State University this week.

A YSU spokesperson would not confirm the hire.

Calhoun spent the past five seasons as the head coach at Division II Fairmont State, leading the program to a record of 124-38.

During the 2016-17 season, Calhoun led Fairmont State to a record of 34-3 overall. The Fighting Falcons reached the Division II National Championship game, which they lost on Saturday.

Calhoun was voted the 2017 Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year. He was also the NABC Atlantic District Coach of the Year.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Calhoun previously served as an assistant coach under Bob Huggins at West Virginia.  He also served as an assistant at Walsh.

As quoted in the Fairmont State media guide, Huggins offered a glowing assessment of Calhoun.

“Jerrod brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm, a strong work ethic and determination being a relentless recruiter with a tremendous knowledge of the game of basketball,” Huggins said.

He played collegiate for two years at Cleveland State under Rollie Massimino.

[YSUFANSINCE1990]

   Hopefully Calhoun can do something that John Robic and Jerry Slocum could not do, and this get this program on the short term to the middle of the pack on a consistent basis and then eventually every so often make a tournament run.

 The best news for YSU would be if Calhoun were here 4-5 years, and moved on.  Get this program headed the right way, and take a better job. 

 It will be very difficult though, we all got caught up in the win over Oakland, but other than that win, this past season was a disaster.   Although we return Cam Morse, we have no size and strength inside.

 Head basketball coach at YSU is a very hard job.  We have no tradition and there are teams in our league who are basketball schools.  I certainly wish him the best, but this will be a very difficult challenge ahead.

[mudclods]

   Hopefully Calhoun can do something that John Robic and Jerry Slocum could not do, and this get this program on the short term to the middle of the pack on a consistent basis and then eventually every so often make a tournament run.

 The best news for YSU would be if Calhoun were here 4-5 years, and moved on.  Get this program headed the right way, and take a better job. 

 It will be very difficult though, we all got caught up in the win over Oakland, but other than that win, this past season was a disaster.   Although we return Cam Morse, we have no size and strength inside.

 Head basketball coach at YSU is a very hard job.  We have no tradition and there are teams in our league who are basketball schools.  I certainly wish him the best, but this will be a very difficult challenge ahead.

I'd agree with most everything you said though I wouldn't completely say the season was a disaster.  I think the number of wins was disappointing; however, I thought the team competed hard and was competitive most nights unlike the last 2 seasons.  They had good wins against Akron, road wins against Wright State & Green Bay, Northern Kentucky, and of course Oakland.  They took Toledo to OT.  Should have beaten Milwaukee on the road if it wasn't for a missed traveling call.  The UIC games went right down to the end, one in OT, but lost both.  The Wright State went down to the wire at home.  The Valpo games were competitive this year unlike the past.  We really played Michigan State tough without Cam. 

On that note there certainly were bad losses.  Canisius, American, and the 2 Detroit losses.  Totally uncompetitive in the 2nd Oakland game and the 2nd Cleveland St game wasn't pretty.

On a side note, does anyone know why Brett Frantz didn't play in the final game?  I know he had struggled of late, but I thought that was very odd he didn't get any minutes.  Tough not to play in your final game when you played in every one.       

[ysuguins4]

On a side note, does anyone know why Brett Frantz didn't play in the final game?  I know he had struggled of late, but I thought that was very odd he didn't get any minutes.  Tough not to play in your final game when you played in every one.

Thought I heard he had a minor injury or illness, but I'm not 100 percent sure of that.

[jbags]

The focus now turns to recruiting...after watching Fairmont on Saturday I saw inside players that attacked the glass...Calhoun has nothing here that remotely resembles that...Calhoun might have to run a few guys out of here immediately...cruel but he didn't recruit them...Morse Santiago and Hartfield are fine but the rest are questionable at best...Moss will have to come in and be better than Williams and Rosic...much much better....Calhoun must hit the ground running and bring some tough hardnosed kids in...canr wait to see what happens

[ytownchief22]

He's from the Huggins coaching tree so his teams have that press and like to turn you over. Shoot a lot of 3's.

[Wick250]

I will not relax until this hiring becomes official.  Read Vargo's column in today's Tribune for insight into how Calhoun is valued by the coaches at the best high school program in Ohio.

As you all know, high school basketball in the Mahoning Valley stinks.  But northeastern Ohio schools just won all four state championships this Saturday.  Slocum was inept at recruiting in Tressel's "State of Youngstown," even failing to grab Eargle right out of high school.  There is every indication that Calhoun will fix that glaring flaw.  That is an essential first step on the long road back to respectability.

[Double ET]

He's from the Huggins coaching tree so his teams have that press and like to turn you over. Shoot a lot of 3's.

Let us grab couple guys to play the 4 and 5 who can make FTs. Because of our poor FT shooting, we practically gave up 8 points every game. I still think the reason for us to win over Oakland in the playoff was because we only had 9 FT attempts. If we had 15 FT attempts that night, we probably would have lost that game.

[ucfpengbuck]

The focus now turns to recruiting...after watching Fairmont on Saturday I saw inside players that attacked the glass...Calhoun has nothing here that remotely resembles that...Calhoun might have to run a few guys out of here immediately...cruel but he didn't recruit them...Morse Santiago and Hartfield are fine but the rest are questionable at best...Moss will have to come in and be better than Williams and Rosic...much much better....Calhoun must hit the ground running and bring some tough hardnosed kids in...canr wait to see what happens

You're a 100 percent correct that morse,santiago,and Hartfield are a nice returning nucleus.   Calhoun needs bigs.  Might be easier said than done.   It's recruiting at another level that YSU needs.  No excuses.

[Dmorton]

The team was competitive most years giving fans hope for the following years.  Like the 18-15 year.  Losing 21 games most of the Slocum years was inexcusable!  I liked coach, but he become a broken record every other game!  "I'm disappointed in our defensive effort," was something that was something that was said practically every loss.

[penguin4ever]

Congrats to Strollo for what looks to be a great hire. I am no Strollo fan but when someone does something right I am willing to give them credit.  Now we need to get student involvement . We need butts in the seats.

[Wick250]

4ever,

Excellent point.  As another Strollo critic, I congratulate him on an outstanding selection.  Even in the unlikely event that Calhoun will not work out, nobody can argue that Strollo blew this one.

[jbags]

I did go and read Vargos article in the Trib and was highly encouraged by the words of Babe Kwasniak, coach at VASJ. The fact that he believes and trusts Calhouns ability to recruit is what's needed here..forget recruiting in Texas or Louisiana and concentrate closer to NE Ohio..perhaps kids won't transfer out if closer to home. In an earlier post I mentioned he might have to get rid of a few players to free up schollies...simplw really..call a kid in and shoot straight by telling him he will not play here and help him find a place that he will.. like  perhaps a Dll school...its not being mean..its being realistic...our roster is dotted with guys that cannot play at a level that would allow us to contend in our league...perhaps going the JC route in Calhoun first year is the way to go...i can't wait to see what the immediate future holds.

[ytownchief22]

Great hire!

[ValleyTalk]

Congratulations to Ron Strollo on a terrific hire. He identified a tremendous candidate that fit the credentials across the board. Calhoun is a native of nearby East Liverpool. He eventually ended up in Cleveland and has been coaching across this region since he graduated from CSU. He has D2 head coaching experience and high level D1 assistant coaching experience. From what I heard early last week he was the guy. Dana Balash went so far as to say he heard from a source at the start of the search that Calhoun to YSU was going to happen and that he wanted the job.