Sources: Utah State hiring Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson

Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson is finalizing a five-year deal to be the following coach at Utah State, sources instructed ESPN.

Jacobson’s transfer will finish a 20-year run at Northern Iowa that has included 5 NCAA match appearances.

Jacobson is finest recognized for Northern Iowa’s run to the Sweet 16 in 2010, which included an upset of No. 1 seed Kansas as a No. 9 seed.

But past that March second, he has gained 397 video games there and established himself a fixture of Midwest basketball.

His rent at Utah State is indicative of that program’s current success and dedication to the longer term. Utah State has reached the NCAA match in six of the final seven seasons during which the match was performed. That run of success spans 4 completely different coaches reaching the NCAA match — Craig Smith, Ryan Odom, Danny Sprinkle and Jerrod Calhoun. (All have parlayed that success to larger jobs).

After reaching consecutive NCAA tournaments, Calhoun left for Cincinnati earlier this month. That created the opening, and Utah State hunted aggressively with practically $4 million in buyout cash the varsity is owed by Calhoun and Cincinnati.

Utah State is predicted to have important sources to compete within the Pac-12, which percolates as a promising basketball league anchored by Gonzaga and San Diego State. Both are West Coast powers with current Final Four appearances.

The rent is likely one of the first important strikes for brand spanking new Utah State athletic director Cameron Walker, who got here from Tennessee in September. Jacobson had drawn loads of curiosity through the years, however had by no means been tempted sufficient to maneuver out of Northern Iowa.

The mixture of obtainable sources, the platform of the league and Utah State’s custom of success made the job a gorgeous one.

It’s a major loss for Northern Iowa, which averaged practically 20 wins per season all through his tenure and in addition gained 4 regular-season championships.