Utah stunningly fires head coach despite recent upset win

One Big 12 team has decided to make a coaching change at an unusual time.

The Utah Utes announced Monday that they are relieving head basketball coach Craig Smith of his duties. Assistant coach Josh Eilert will be taking over as the team’s interim coach for the rest of the season.

In a statement announcing Smith’s firing, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said, “After evaluating our program under Craig’s leadership, I believe a change is needed to get us to where we want to go. The time is now to begin that process, and we will surround our student-athletes, Coach Eilert and the staff with support as they continue with their season.”

You can read the full statement here.

Smith, 52, had been in charge at Utah since 2021. The decision by the university to fire him comes as a big surprise, especially since the Utes are a respectable 15-12 this season and recently got a big win over No. 17-ranked Kansas on Feb. 15. There are currently only four games left in the regular season for Utah as well.

But Smith, who finishes his Utah tenure with an overall record of 65-62 (.512) never ended up leading the team to a single NCAA Tournament berth. The Utes are also just 7-9 in conference play this season, their first in the Big 12, so perhaps the athletic department feels that a higher-upside coach is needed to better compete in their new conference.

When it comes to potential replacements for Smith, it is worth noting that one former NBA guard who is a Utah alum recently went into coaching and is making a strong name for himself there.