Report: Women's Basketball Assistant Gabe Lazo Promoted to Associate Head Coach

Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sam Purcell believes Gabe Lazo is "undoubtedly a future leader of a program."

Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sam Purcell announced on Friday that the program will be promoting Gabe Lazo from assistant to associate head coach.

"Gabe Lazo has deservedly earned the reputation as one of the top assistants in the nation and is an invaluable piece of our program," Purcell said in a press release. "His work ethic is unmatched, and he possesses an elite talent as a relentless recruiter, motivator, mentor and player developer. From his ability to identify talent and build relationships to his expertise in teaching our defensive system, his contributions are second to none. He is undoubtedly a future leader of a program."

"I'm incredibly thankful and humble for the opportunity to advance my career at Mississippi State," Lazo said in the release. "I appreciate the trust that our student-athletes, administration and Coach Purcell has placed in me. We have achieved a lot of these last two seasons, and there is a clear vision for this program that I can't wait to help accomplish. I promise that we will continue to work tirelessly to build on the rich tradition of this program and I couldn't be more excited about the future here."

Since arriving to Starkville, Miss. in 2022, Lazo has primarily served as the Bulldogs defensive coordinator. His efforts helped lead Mississippi State to consecutive 20-plus win campaigns.

In the 2022-23 season, Lazo assisted Mississippi State back to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year hiatus. The 11-seed Bulldogs later became the first team in NCAA Women's Basketball history to advance to the Second Round after starting in the First Four.

This past season, Lazo was crucial in the development of 2024 All-SEC Second Team member Jerkaila Jordan and fellow guard Lauren Park-Lane, who set the Bulldogs' single-season assist record.

Lazo's promotion also stems from his recruiting contributions as he played a critical role in signing the nation's third-ranked transfer class per 247Sports ahead of last season. Additionally, he helped Mississippi State sign the 16th-ranked recruiting class in 2022-23, which was the second-highest in program history.