Mississipi State head coach Chris Jans signs contract extension
Coming off another NCAA Tournament appearance, Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans has signed a contract extension, as reported Monday by multiple media outlets. Jans led the Bulldogs to a 21-14 record this past season, including an 8-10 SEC mark, and Mississippi State ended the season with a loss to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Jans’ new extension runs through the 2078-28 season and his base salary is $4.2 million annual starting this coming season, which is up from last year’s $3.2 million annual salary. Thamel also reported that Jans’ extension includes an annual increase and performance-based incentives.
“We are excited for the future of Mississippi State basketball under the leadership of Coach Jans,” MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon said in a school release. “He and his staff have done a tremendous job since arriving in Starkville, and we know the best is yet to come. Fueled by seven sellouts, Bulldog fans made Humphrey Coliseum one of the most electric atmospheres in college basketball this past season, and we can’t wait for what next year has in store. Pack The Hump!”
In his first two seasons at the helm, Jans has led the program to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since the 2008-2009 NCAA Tournaments. In his debut season with the Bulldogs, State finished 21-13 and lost to Pittsburgh in the First Four game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
During the 2023-24 season, State pulled off Top 10 wins over Auburn and Tennessee during the regular season, the first time the Bulldogs accomplished that feat since 2002. In March in the SEC Tournament, the Bulldogs knocked off Tennessee again, who was the SEC regular-season champion, and advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2010.
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“We are thankful to President Mark Keenum and Director of Athletics Zac Selmon for their trust and confidence in our staff’s ability to lead our basketball program,” Jans said in a school release. “Sheri and I love living in the Starkville community and are building long lasting relationships with Bulldogs everywhere. We want to continue to make our fan base proud of the Maroon and White. The renovated Humphrey Coliseum has already proven to be a great home court advantage because of our dedicated State students and passionate fans. We can’t wait to get back inside The Hump in November.”
Before arriving at Mississippi State, Jans produced a 122-32 record in his five seasons as the New Mexico State head coach, which also featured three NCAA Tournament appearances. In the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Jans led New Mexico State to a first-round upset of five-seed Connecticut, which was the last time Connecticut lost an NCAA Tournament game before winning back-to-back NCAA national championships.
With the Aggies, Jans produced a 64-13 conference record in the WAC and was three-time WAC Coach of the Year. Jans won 25 or more games in each of his first three seasons. becoming one of just eight active NCAA Division 1 head coach to reach that feat.
Jans’ first head coaching job was at Bowling Green where he led the Falcons to a 21-12 record in 2014-15. That Falcons’ team advanced to the CIT and captured the program’s first postseason win since 1975. Jans is still the only coach in Bowling Green history to win at least 20 games in their first season at the school.
