New Coaches Shake Up Big Twelve

0:00On March 23rd, the big 12 conference is welcoming at least three new head coaches for the 2026-27 basketball season. Arizona State has confirmed the hire of Randy Bennett from St. Mary's College. Cincinnati is bringing in Jerro Calhoun from Utah State, and Kansas State already added Casey Alexander from Belmont. Bennett boasts an impressive 589 wins against 228 losses over 25 seasons with the Gales. A Mesa native, he faced Arizona in an exhibition game at McCale Center this fall, where the Wildcats won 81-68. Arizona has history with St. Mary's squads, including closed-door scrimmages under past coaches like Tommy Lloyd and Sean Miller. Bennett got to his team to 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including five in a row, though they fell in the first round this year to Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Calhoun returns to his alma mater Cincinnati, where he was a student assistant under Bob Huggins. The 44-year-old coach just took Utah State to back-to-back attorneys of setting Villanova before losing to Arizona.

1:05He holds a 297 and 159 career record. These move shake up the conference after Arizona State's split with Bobby Hurley, who struggled head-to-head against the Wildcats. Expect fresh dynamics as these coaches settle in in rivalries heat up next season.