Cincinnati men’s basketball is giving fans an early look at the Jerrod Calhoun era with a new docuseries, “Calhoun Street,” and the first three minutes are already out. The full project is set to premiere on ESPN+ next Thursday, Oct. 29.
The series tracks the program’s history while also spotlighting the buildup to Calhoun’s first season in charge. It’s being produced with 4th Floor Creative, a video production company based in the greater Cincinnati area.
“We’re really excited to partner with 4th Floor Creative on this project detailing what goes on behind the scenes of our program with just a tremendous group of student-athletes and staff members,” Calhoun said in a release. “We’ve had them with us throughout the preseason, and I’m looking forward to this showcase of our group heading into the season.”
For Calhoun, the move is as personal as it is professional. After a strong run at Utah State, he signed a six-year, $3.7 million deal to return to his alma mater as the Bearcats’ next head coach. His coaching roots at Cincinnati go back to 2003-04, when he worked as a student assistant for Bob Huggins.
That path took him through two assistant jobs before Fairmont State handed him his first head coaching opportunity in 2012. Now in his fourth stop after Fairmont State, Youngstown State and Utah State, the Liverpool, Ohio, native brings a 297-159 record over 14 years as a head coach.
The trailer points to a straightforward mission: get Cincinnati back on track. The Bearcats have gone through four sub-20-win seasons since 2019-20, and the film appears focused on the work of rebuilding the program’s footing.
There’s also a bigger backdrop here. Gale Catlett, Huggins and Mick Cronin all coached Cincinnati at some point, and this new series will try to capture the early foundation of Calhoun’s tenure as the Bearcats go after their first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2018-19 season. Cincinnati is 46-32 in 33 all-time tournament appearances, including a program-record 14 straight trips under Huggins from 1991-92 to 2004-05.
At the same time, the program is dealing with an NCAA legal dispute that has put the eligibility of some incoming players in question. The NCAA recently filed a federal lawsuit with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine over an executive order granting eligibility to Class of 2022 student-athletes seeking a fifth year of eligibility in the state of Ohio, including incoming transfers MJ Collins and Amani Lyles.
In Other News...
Cincinnati's New Frontcourt Boost Comes With One Major Catch
Cincinnati has added a needed frontcourt piece for next season, landing Akron forward Amani Lyles as the Bearcats continue to shape their roster for the year ahead. Lyles arrives after transferring from Akron, giving Cincinnati another option in the paint and another experienced body as the program looks to round out its rotation.
The wrinkle is that Lyles' path to the floor is tied to a fifth-year eligibility ruling that is now under legal scrutiny. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines executive order opened the door for certain players, including Lyles and MJ Collins, but the NCAA is challenging that move in federal court, leaving the situation unsettled as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]