Deadspin | Utah State hires Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson

Deadspin | Utah State hires Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson

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Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson speaks at a press conference ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Utah State announced the hire of Northern Iowa’s Ben Jacobson to succeed Jerrod Calhoun as its head coach on Monday.

Jacobson, 55, has coached at Northern Iowa for 20 seasons, compiling a 397-259 record and leading the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament for a fifth time in 2025-26. He took them to the Sweet 16 in 2010.

He’ll supervise the Aggies’ move from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 Conference next season.

“Utah State is one of the country’s premier men’s basketball programs, and we needed a leader who embodies that tradition and is committed to building on our rich history,” Utah State AD Cameron Walker said in a statement. “Ben is not only an exceptional person, but across the industry is regarded as one of the best coaches in the country. 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.”

Calhoun departed last week to become the head coach at Cincinnati after guiding the Aggies to a 55-15 record with two NCAA Tournament appearances in two seasons.

Jacobson, who is reportedly signing a five-year deal, will be the springboard program’s fifth head coach since 2020. Craig Smith, Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle and Calhoun all moved on to bigger jobs after taking the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to join Utah State as it enters its next chapter in the Pac-12,” Jacobson said in a statement. “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.”

Jacobson was an assistant at North Dakota, North Dakota State and Northern Iowa before taking over the Panthers in 2006. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year five times while winning four MVC regular-season championships and five MVC tournament titles.

–Field Level Media

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce will miss the offseason program after ankle surgery, general manager Chris Ballard confirmed Monday.

Pierce, 25, is on a three-month timetable for a full recovery, putting him on track to return in time for this summer’s training camp.


Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million extension last month with $80 million guaranteed. He is coming off the best season of his career after catching 47 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.

Ballard revealed during his press conference that Pierce accomplished those numbers despite battling ankle pain throughout the season.

Over four seasons in Indianapolis, Pierce has 2,934 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 157 catches. With Michael Pittman Jr. traded to Pittsburgh in March, Pierce takes over as the No. 1 target for Daniel Jones, who is also recovering this offseason from a torn Achilles that prematurely ended his breakout first season with the Colts.


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Rams coach Sean McVay expressed public interest in potentially bringing back Garoppolo as Matthew Stafford’s backup during this month’s NFL meetings in Phoenix.


Of Garoppolo’s 85 games played and 64 starts, 57 and 55 of those came with the San Francisco 49ers, who acquired him via trade in October of 2017.

He started all 16 regular-season games of San Francisco’s 2019 season, throwing for 3,978 yards and 27 touchdowns while leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record and a 31-20 Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February of 2020.

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