Utah State has hired Ben Jacobson as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program, the school announced Monday.
The 55-year-old Jacobson has spent the last 20 seasons at Northern Iowa, where he amassed 397 wins and led the Panthers to five NCAA Tournaments. His 2026 team suffered a first-round exit from the tournament this year with a 79-53 loss to St. John’s.
Jacobson led Northern Iowa to nine total conference championships (four regular-season titles and five conference tournament titles) and and a Sweet 16 berth in 2010, including an upset of the No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks. He was also the first five-time winner of the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year award.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to join Utah State as it enters its next chapter in the Pac-12,” Jacobson said in a press release. “I’m grateful to Cameron Walker for trusting me to lead such a historic program and to continue its tradition as one of the top men’s basketball programs in the West. I look forward to getting to know Aggie Nation and the HURD, and for my family to become part of the Cache Valley and Logan community.”
Utah State was in need of a new head coach after Jerrod Calhoun left for Cincinnati after just two seasons at the helm of the Aggies. Jacobson becomes the program’s seventh coach in the last 13 years.
“Ben is not only an exceptional person, but across the industry is regarded as one of the best coaches in the country,” said Utah State athletic director Cameron Walker in the press release. “He will be a tremendous leader and builder of men for our program. As we enter the new Pac-12, it’s critical that our leader drives us to new heights. Ben shares that same passion and vision, and I am thrilled to welcome him and his wife, Dawn, to Cache Valley.”
Utah State will hold an open-to-the-public introductory press conference on Tuesday at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the West Stadium Center at Maverik Stadium.
Praise from his peers
A number of coaches around the country offered praise for Jacobson.
University of Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen: “I have been involved in sports for quite some time and Ben Jacobson is one of the best coaches, teachers and role models that I have had the pleasure to work with. During our overlapping tenures at Northern Iowa, I saw up close his authentic commitment to student-athletes, his passion for the game of basketball and his high character and integrity in every aspect of his life. I am thrilled for Ben and for Utah State, which is getting an outstanding coach and an even better person.”
Former NCAA head coach Greg McDermott: “Coach Jacobson is everything you want in a head coach. He has a great basketball mind, is high character and is completely committed to his players. He will represent Utah State is a first-class manner.”
Purdue head coach Matt Painter: “Ben is not only an exceptional coach but also a truly remarkable person. He has achieved tremendous success at Northern Iowa, and this opportunity at Utah State gives him the chance to build on that success both on the court and within the community. I’m excited for him and his family as they embark on this exciting new chapter in their lives.”
