Mississippi State athletic director comments on Chris Jans hire

Mississippi State has officially announced Chris Jans as their next head coach after multiple reports confirmed the hire Sunday. MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen welcomed Jans to the Bulldogs’ program with a statement.

“The Mississippi State Family is thrilled to welcome Chris Jans as our next head coach,” said Cohen. “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. 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.”

Jans has gone 122-32 in five seasons at New Mexico State, which includes four regular-season WAC championships and three NCAA tournament appearances. He will be filling in for Ben Howland, who served as the Bulldogs’ head coach since 2016. In seven seasons in Starkville, Howland failed to win an NCAA Tournament game, compiling a 134-98 overall record.

The Aggies were just bounced from the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon by Arkansas 53-48, ending New Mexico State’s season after going 27-7 and winning the WAC. Despite not making a Sweet 16 berth, Jans led New Mexico State to an upset of UConn in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64 last week, which was the school’s first NCAA tournament win since 1970.

Jans was hired after Mississippi State parted ways with the Ben Howland following a disappointing 18-14 2022 campaign. The Bulldogs never won an NCAA Tournament game under Howland in seven seasons.