LOGAN – Two former Utah State men’s basketball staff members, Johnny Hill and Curran Walsh, are returning to Logan in similar roles to their previous stints. Hill will serve as an assistant coach and Walsh will be the director of player personnel and analytics.
Hill’s addition replaces the loss of assistant coach Eric Daniels, who left to take the same position at the University of Utah under its first-year head coach Alex Jensen. Hill spent one season at Utah State, having followed Danny Sprinkle from Montana State to Logan, and served as an assistant coach and director of player development under Sprinkle. In the 2024-25 season, Hill was an assistant coach at University of Illinois Chicago, focusing on defense, scouting and player development. Prior to his first stint at USU, Hill served in assistant roles at Montana State, Grand Canyon and Northwestern Ohio.
“We’re very excited to bring Johnny and his wife back to Logan,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said in the university’s press release about the hirings. “He was a part of one of the greatest teams in Utah State history. He comes highly recommended by Matt Painter, Rob Ehsan and Danny Sprinkle. When trying to establish a staff, I want coaches with great motors who are very well-rounded. Johnny is great with recruiting and he’s going to bring a great defensive mind to the program. I also look for guys who want to be head coaches, and I think Johnny’s future is very bright. This is a great addition for us.”
Walsh spent two season in Logan, both under former Aggies head coach Craig Smith, from 2019 to 2021, working as the director of player development. When Smith left to take the head coaching job at Utah, Walsh followed him and served as the director of basketball operations. Walsh spent the 2024-25 season at Denver as an assistant coach. Before coming to Utah State the first time, Walsh spent time on the staff of Loyola Marymount for three seasons and two seasons at St. Anthony High School in Illinois.
“We’re excited to add Curran Walsh to the Utah State staff, he’s one of the most respected young basketball minds in the business,” Calhoun said. “He was highly recommended by Craig Smith and Jeff Wulbrun. He will be a huge addition to our staff, concentrating on the transfer portal and helping out with special projects while also playing a role with scouting. Curran is someone who knows the Logan community well and we look forward to welcoming him and his fiancee, Morgan.”
These moves add to what’s been a busy offseason for the Aggies’ assistant coaches. Earlier this week, associate head coach Eric Haut and assistant coach Mantoris Robinson participated in the 2025 TopConnect Basketball Symposium. The event’s stated goals are to find “the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and (connect) them with mid-major athletic directors” for the purpose of “networking and leadership development.”
