Mississippi State has hired New Mexico State's Chris Jans as its next basketball coach, the university announced on Sunday. Jans just led the No. 12 seed Aggies to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1993 on Thursday against UConn and nearly engineered an upset of No. 4 seed Arkansas on Saturday night.
Jans posted a 122-32 record in five seasons with New Mexico State and guided the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances. At Mississippi State, he will replace Ben Howland, who was fired after making just one NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons.
"Throughout our thorough research, what stood out about Coach Jans was his culture of accountability, hard-working mentality, emphasis on player development, and vision for the future. Coach Jans is a proven leader and winner, who is considered by many to be one of the top coaches in the game. He is a tireless recruiter, brilliant Xs and Os tactician, and his overall resume speaks for itself," said athletic director John Cohen. "In 12 years as a head coach at the Division I and JUCO levels, he won 20 or more games in all but one season. He helped build Wichita State into a powerhouse in the mid-2010s, where they averaged 30 wins each of his last four seasons, including a Final Four appearance and a 35-0 start in his final season. We're pleased to welcome him, his wife Sheri, his son Nick and daughter Maddie to the Bulldog Family."
The Bulldogs were picked to finish eighth in the SEC this season and expected to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid after returning star guard Iverson Molinar and landing a quality transfer class headlined by former North Carolina forward Garrison Brooks. But the program's 8-10 SEC record this season was exactly the same as last year's mark.
Jans, 52, will be coaching in a power conference for the first time in his career. But he is well-traveled both as a head coach and assistant at the junior college and mid-major ranks. He was an assistant at Wichita State under Gregg Marshall from 2007 to 2014 as the Shockers ascended to prominence in the Missouri Valley Conference and nationally.
Before his run at New Mexico State, Jans was also the head coach at Bowling Green for one season, helping engineer a quick turnaround. But he was fired for conduct that "failed to meet his obligations as a head coach and the expectations that BGSU Athletics has for its coaches" after video surfaced an incident between Jans and a woman at an off-campus bar.
