Cincinnati fires coach Wes Miller

Field Level Media|published: 03/13/2026, 2:48pm EDT

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats coach Wes Miller directs game play during the first half against the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Cincinnati plans to part with Wes Miller, but no official word is expected until after April 1, according to multiple reports on Friday.

Miller's fate was sealed with an overtime loss to UCF in the Big 12 tournament, a defeat that all but confirmed the Bearcats would miss the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season.

Miller was 100-74 in five years at Cincinnati, which split the AAC for the Big 12 following his second season with the program.

Miller, 43, defended the Bearcats' resume after Wednesday's second-round loss to UCF (66-65) in the Big 12 tournament. Cincinnati finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-15 record.

Hired by Cincinnati after five consecutive 21-plus-win seasons in 10 years at UNC Greensboro, Miller went 23-13 in 2022-23 and 22-15 in his first year in the Big 12 with the Bearcats.

But in a meeting Friday with athletic director John Cunningham, Miller learned his run in Cincinnati was coming to an end.

Miller has a buyout of $9.9 million, and Cincinnati will not make his firing official until after April 1, when the buyout drops to $4.7 million, CBS Sports reported Friday.

Cincinnati alum Jerrod Calhoun, who has a 52-14 record at Utah State, is considered a leading candidate to replace Miller.

--Field Level Media