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Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson celebrates after defeating UIC in the Missouri Valley championship game on March 8, 2026, in St. Louis.

Jeff Roberson, Associated Press

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Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson answers a question during an NCAA Tournament news conference on March 19, 2016, in Oklahoma City.

Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press

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Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson questions a call during a game against Grand Canyon on Nov. 22, 2022, in Kansas City.

Charlie Riedel, Associated Press

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Utah State hopes it can push pause on the perpetual search for college basketball coaches, and the next guy might help them do that.

USU introduced Ben Jacobson, 55, as the Aggies’ new head coach on Tuesday morning. Jacobson comes to Utah State after 20 years as head coach at Northern Iowa, where he was 397-259 overall and 220-148 in Missouri Valley Conference games.

“We’re lucky to have him here. He’s had a storied, 20-year career at another institution,” USU president Brad Mortensen said during a press conference Tuesday. “Some other folks tried to draw him away a time or two, but he’s found the right place. The timing’s worked out really well.”

After going 28-6 in the regular season, Utah State defeated Villanova 86-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing by 12 to Arizona, who’s still alive and will play in the upcoming Final Four.

That brought the end of Jerrod Calhoun’s two seasons in Logan with a 55-15 record; he was the latest USU head coach to draw interest, and his took him back to his alma mater at the University of Cincinnati.

When Jacobson first takes the floor in November, he’ll be Utah State’s fifth head coach in the last seven seasons, going back to Craig Smith’s final year in 2020-21.

“We spoke to (people) who understand what winning looks like, and more importantly, understand what sustained winning looks like. At every step of the process, one name consistently rose to the top: Ben Jacobson,” USU athletic director Cam Walker said. “A proven winner; more than that, a program-builder, and a developer of people.”

As Utah State cheered itself off the court on March 20 after beating Villanova, they past Jacobson and his Northern Iowa Panthers, who were preparing to play eventual Elite Eight team St. John’s.

Jacobson said that was part of why Utah State intrigued him.

“To take on this challenge with (the players), and the way in which you’ve done it already — we were the next game after your game with Villanova, we were standing right there when you guys came off the floor. … You could feel the camaraderie and feel the excitement, and I wanted to be part of that,” he said.

Jacobson referenced Utah State being 117-21 in home games over the last nine seasons.

“What a place to be able to do it,” he said. “I’m excited about doing more, and the challenge ahead of us in the Pac-12.”

Jacobson took Northern Iowa to the Sweet 16 in 2010, and won tournament games in 2015 and 2016. The Panthers went dancing seven times in his tenure. Utah State has qualified for the NCAA Tournament seven times in the last eight years but the Aggies have never made the Sweet 16 since the tournament expanded and have not won more than one game in the national tournament since 1970.

“That first weekend in the NCAA Tournament, that’s special. But there’s a next weekend, and a next weekend after that,” Jacobson said. “What does that feel like? The excitement of that, with the new league, with our leadership, and with (these players); I’m fortunate to have been there as a head coach and want to do that together.”