The Kansas State Wildcats appear to be narrowing in on their next head coach.
According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3, Kansas State’s coaching search has focused on three primary candidates: Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun, Saint Louis’s Josh Schertz, and Belmont’s Casey Alexander.
Each candidate brings a different background and resume, but all three have built reputations for winning programs and developing talent.
Jerrod Calhoun – Utah State
Calhoun has emerged as one of the rising names in the coaching ranks after impressive work at Utah State. Known for his offensive intensity and disciplined style of play, Calhoun has quickly kept the Aggies competitive in the Mountain West, one of the more underrated basketball conferences in the country.
Before arriving at Utah State, Calhoun spent time leading Youngstown State, where he gradually built the Penguins into a Horizon League contender. His teams consistently improved over time, and his ability to recruit and develop players helped elevate the program’s national profile.
Calhoun also carries a strong pedigree from his time as an assistant under Bob Huggins at West Virginia, where he was part of several NCAA Tournament teams and learned the defensive identity that has shaped his own coaching philosophy. This season, his Aggies are 24-6, which puts his overall record with the program at 50-13.
Josh Schertz – Saint Louis
Few coaches in the country have climbed the ranks as steadily as Schertz. After dominating the Division II level at Lincoln Memorial, Schertz made a seamless transition to Division I with Indiana State, where he engineered one of the most exciting offenses in the country.
Schertz gained national recognition when Indiana State surged into the national spotlight with a high-powered offense and a deep postseason run that put the program back on the map. His ability to build an analytically driven, modern offensive system helped his teams consistently rank among the nation’s most efficient scoring units.
That success ultimately landed him the head coaching job at Saint Louis, where he has his squad ranked No. 25 with a 26-3 overall record.
Casey Alexander – Belmont
Alexander brings perhaps the most consistent winning resume of the three candidates. At Belmont, he has maintained the winning culture established by longtime coach Rick Byrd, continuing the program’s tradition of efficient offense and disciplined basketball.
Before taking over Belmont, Alexander built Lipscomb into a serious mid-major contender, even guiding the program to an NCAA Tournament appearance. His teams are known for smart offensive execution, player development, and strong shooting, trademarks that have made Belmont one of the most respected mid-major programs in the country.
At Belmont, Alexander has continued that success, consistently keeping the Bruins near the top of their conference while developing players capable of thriving in a system built on spacing and ball movement. In 2025-26, Alexander’s squad is in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 26-5 overall record and a 16-4 conference record.
What Kansas State Is Looking For
Kansas State’s decision will ultimately come down to fit, philosophy, and the direction athletic leadership wants the program to take. The Wildcats are one of the more intriguing jobs in the Big 12 Conference, a league widely regarded as the toughest in college basketball.
The biggest thing that all three candidates share is a long history of winning programs and the ability to build and develop squads. As many will note, the Wildcats took Jerome Tang, a coach with zero head coaching experience, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll go that route again this cycle.
For now, the search appears to be narrowing and Kansas State may be getting closer to its next head coach.
