Cincinnati Bearcats Secure Significant Program Hire

Bearcats Add Jason Slay to Jerrod Calhoun’s Coaching Staff

The Cincinnati Bearcats have made another addition to head coach Jerrod Calhoun’s inaugural coaching staff, hiring Jason Slay as an assistant coach after his three-year stint at Illinois State.

Slay becomes the ninth member of Calhoun’s staff. During his time with the Redbirds, including the last two seasons as associate head coach, Illinois State won 60 games and advanced to the NIT semifinals in 2026.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jason Slay to our Bearcats family,” Calhoun said in a university release. “He brings extensive experience, a strong understanding of our system, and a genuine commitment to helping student-athletes grow both on and off the court.”

Slay’s familiarity with Calhoun’s coaching philosophy should help ease the transition as Cincinnati works to develop a completely revamped roster. While many staff members have previous ties to Calhoun, Slay is a new addition to the Bearcats program.

The two previously worked together at Youngstown State, where Slay served on Calhoun’s staff from 2017 to 2021. Before joining Illinois State, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach at South Florida. During their time with the Penguins, the program posted its first back-to-back winning seasons in nearly a decade.

As Calhoun continues building Cincinnati’s identity for the future, he has emphasized the importance of developing programs from the ground up.

“Every stop in my career has presented a different challenge,” Calhoun recently told Rob Dauster of The Field of 68. “At Fairmont State, we inherited a team that had won just eight games. Youngstown State was in a similar position, and at Utah State, I stepped into a program that had already experienced tremendous success. Each experience has taught me valuable lessons and helped shape how I approach building a team.”

With several months remaining before the season begins at Fifth Third Arena in November, Cincinnati’s coaching staff continues to take shape as the program prepares for its next chapter.