Ethan Faulkner taking over YSU men's basketball program

Associate head coach Ethan Faulkner is taking  over the Youngstown State men's basketball program  with the departure of Jerrod Calhoun to Utah State.

Faulkner has been with the Penguins since 2019 and was elevated to associate head coach in 2022.

He becomes the 14th head coach in program history.

He played at Northern Kentucky where he stated 73 of the 117 games played.

"We feel very fortunate to have someone of Ethan's caliber step into this role and lead our program," said Executive Director of Athletics Ron Strollo. "It was important for us to make this decisive decision to assure our current players, portal transfers, high school recruits, and supporters that the program will continue to succeed. Ethan has earned the trust of our student-athletes along with our recruits, and he worked hand-in-hand with Coach Calhoun to create and maintain a winning culture."

Faulkner stated he was grateful for the opportunity to lead the men's basketball program.

"I'm honored to be the next head coach at Youngstown State," Faulkner said. "I want to thank athletic director Ron Strollo, YSU President Bill Johnson, and our Board of Trustees for their support and confidence in me. I also want to thank Jerrod Calhoun for everything he has done for me personally and our basketball program. YSU basketball has never stood on firmer ground. Our staff and I will work tirelessly to ensure our positive momentum continues with the ultimate goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament."

A press conference to officially introduce Faulkner will be scheduled soon.

ASSISTANT COACHES:  It's not known if Calhoun is taking any assistant coaches with him, but Paul Molinari, director of basketball operations is probably a sure bet since he was with Calhoun at Fairmont State and YSU.