Utah basketball has itself a full deck of five assistant coaches yet again — and the program turned to its new league for the latest replacement.
The university announced Thursday that former West Virginia assistant Josh Eilert, who served as the Mountaineers’ interim head coach last season, will join Craig Smith’s staff ahead of Utah’s jump to the Big 12.
Eilert spent the past 17 seasons at West Virginia in a variety of positions, starting as a video coordinator in 2007, serving as the director of basketball operations for nearly a decade and moving up to an assistant coach role in 2022 before becoming head coach under the interim tag during the 2023-24 season after Bob Huggins resigned in June 2023 after a drunken-driving arrest.
The Mountaineers went 9-23 and 4-14 in league play under Eilert last season.
Advertisement
“I would like to thank Coach Smith and the University of Utah administration for this incredible opportunity,” Eilert said in a statement.
“I have an immense amount of respect for Coach Smith for the way in which he runs his program and the success he has had along the way. I am thrilled to remain a member of the Big 12 Conference, a league that I have spent 17 years in. My family and I are eager to join the Salt Lake City community and represent the University of Utah and this storied basketball program! Go Utes!”
Eilert is the second addition to the Utah coaching staff this offseason, joining former Sacramento State assistant Loren Leath.
The pair were brought on after the Utes lost assistants Chris Burgess and DeMarlo Slocum to BYU and Washington, respectively.
Eilert’s work at West Virginia ranged from coaching the wings and post players to scouting and recruiting, as well as day-to-day operations of the program. In 2021, Silver Waves Media named him to its top 50 notable Division I support staff list.
Advertisement
Utah Utes head coach Craig Smith coaches the Utah Utes as they play the Indiana State Sycamores in an NIT semifinal basketball game at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Smith his coaching staff with the addition of former West Virginia assistant Josh Eilert. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Eilert, a Kansas native, started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas State from 2005-07. After time at a community college, he played for the Wildcats from 2002-04.
“We’re thrilled to have Josh and his wonderful family join the Utah men’s basketball program,” Smith said in a statement.
“Josh is an excellent coach in all facets. He is well-rounded in all phases of the game and articulates the game in a clear and concise manner. Josh has an excellent background in player development and will specifically work with the ‘bigs’ in our program. He also has a vast knowledge of the Big 12, having played and coached in it for nearly two decades; which will be very impactful as we head into that conference this season.”
Enter your email and we’ll send a secure one-click link to sign in.
ABC4 Utah is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
Advertisement
ABC4 Utah is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
The idea for Rize Sweet Rollz dates back five years, when founder Casey Vanderhoef was serving time in prison.
Vanderhoef began developing the concept while incarcerated, using that time to think through both the product and the purpose. Since his release last July, Vanderhoef has turned that vision into a growing business.
His company now makes a point to hire people who were formerly incarcerated, offering what Vanderhoef calls a critical first step after release.
Read more: https://ksltv.com/?p=911964 —-
Advertisement
Socials for KSL TV: Posts by KSL5TV https://www.facebook.com/ksltv https://www.instagram.com/kslnews/
Socials for KSL NewsRadio: Posts by kslnewsradio https://www.facebook.com/KSLNewsradio/ https://www.instagram.com/ksl_newsradio/
Like many utilities in the Trump era, Rocky Mountain Power is pulling back on its renewable energy plans. But more than a dozen Utah communities are taking matters into their own hands.
About 300,000 homes and businesses will soon be part of a novel, bottom-up program to bring new clean power to the state’s fossil-fuel-heavy grid. The Utah Renewable Communities initiative allows city and county governments to offset their electricity use with 100 percent renewable power, backed by a $4 monthly bill surcharge.
“There’s no other program available to our residents that is this affordable or this impactful to Midvale’s environmental and economic future,” said Dustin Gettel, mayor of the Salt Lake City suburb of Midvale.
Advertisement
Midvale is set to vote Tuesday on whether to join 15 other communities that have signed up ahead of an enrollment deadline next week. Three other eligible communities have opted out, although one may reconsider.
