Iowa State men’s basketball assistant head coach JR Blount is expected to be the new San Diego head coach, ESPN announced Monday.

Blount was one of the three people who were “heavily in the mix” for the head coach position, according to Jeff Goodman on X. Blount was reportedly in the running alongside Cal State Head Coach Andy Newman and Kansas Assistant Head Coach Tony Bland.

Blount has worked under Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger for the past five seasons, helping lead the Cyclone program to a 95-45 record and four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

During his time at Iowa State, Blount played a key role in mentoring Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Izaiah Brockington and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tyrese Hunter. In his first season with the Cyclones, Blount helped create a big turnaround for Iowa State and posted the third-best win improvement in Division 1 men’s basketball history.

Blount’s expected new position at San Diego will be in replacement of Steve Lavin, who will not return for a fifth season after posting a 12-21 record in the 2025-26 season and an overall 46-79 record during his seasons at San Diego.