Cincinnati coach Wes Miller landed on the hot seat after his No. 9-seeded Bearcats lost a 66-65 Big 12 Tournament game to the No. 8-seeded UCF Knights. The Bearcats led 58-50 with two minutes remaining but committed three consecutive turnovers, allowing UCF to tie the game and force overtime, where the Knights closed it out.
Jeff Goodman Puts Wes Miller on the Hot Seat
During Thursday’s segment of the “Field of 68” podcast, analyst Jeff Goodman was not optimistic about Miller keeping his job after the manner in which the Bearcats lost to the Knights in the Big 12 Tournament.
“It didn’t help how it ended,” Goodman said. “Cincinnati has been playing really good basketball the last month or so. They were up six with a few minutes to go, and they blew it. I talked to Wes afterward, and he didn’t call a timeout late in regulation. There was an absolutely botched play. With John Cunningham, their A. D watching this thing going down.
“They had so many bad losses earlier in the season, but they would’ve been 8-2 in their last 10 games if they’d won this game, and they would’ve had a shot at Arizona tomorrow, not sure if they’d have to win for Wes Miller to keep his job. Cunningham hired Wes Miller. I think he wants to keep him, but I think now the fanbase wants a change.”
Is the Wes Miller era in Cincinnati over? 🤔@GoodmanHoops gives his latest thoughts on what could happen next in Cincinnati.
🎥: https://t.co/iNKlGtnc6X pic.twitter.com/oxTCbgy1jE
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 12, 2026
Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham faces a significant decision regarding Miller’s future. If the Bearcats were to dismiss him now, the program would owe a buyout of $9.9 million, compared with $4.69 million on April 1.
During his postgame news conference, Miller discussed his job security while expressing hope for the Bearcats’ inclusion in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket on Selection Sunday.
“My head’s been down, just working on, again, I think we have an NCAA Tournament team. My head’s been down working on getting ready for the next game. John (Cunningham) has been supportive the entire year,” Miller said. “We’re Cincinnati. We need to be in the NCAA Tournament.
“But we are in the right direction of building something, we built something that I believe is now sustainable. I believe in everything we’re doing. I believe that over the last two months, we’ve been one of the best teams in college basketball. And so, my heart and soul are in this job and the work that we’re doing.”
The Bearcats hold an 18-15 record this season. Miller has compiled a 174-100 record during his five-year tenure but has yet to lead Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament.
