Mississippi State Men's Basketball Announces Chris Jans as the Program's Newest Head Coach

The former New Mexico State head coach will look to take the Bulldogs to new heights over the next few years.

Only days after the firing of former head coach Ben Howland, Mississippi State has announced the hiring of a promising, fiery coach: Chris Jans. 

Jans started his Division I coaching career at Bowling Green but has spent the last five seasons as New Mexico State University's head coach. In that span, he went 122-32 with the Aggies and led them to three NCAA Tournament trips. In the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Jans' team pulled off a huge upset against No. 5-seeded UConn-- the program's first NCAA Tournament victory since 1993. They ultimately fell against Arkansas in the Round of 32, but not without putting up a hard fight.

In the Western Athletic Conference, Jans and his team have been nearly unstoppable. New Mexico State has won four regular-season titles and three tournament titles in the WAC over the last five years. He has been named the WAC Coach of the Year three times as a result. Jans also has the fourth-highest win percentage among active head coaches through six total seasons as a DI coach. His .765 percentage is bested only by Gonzaga's Mark Few (.837), Kansas' Bill Self (.768) and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (.766). 

Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen announced the news on Sunday, letting his excitement and optimism regarding the hire shine through.

“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." 

Next season will begin a new era of Mississippi State men's basketball. With many talented athletes returning, a newly-renovated Humphrey Coliseum and a nationally-recognized coach, the future is promising for the Bulldogs.