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Mississippi State named New Mexico State coach Chris Jans as the Bulldogs’ next men’s basketball coach Sunday.

Mississippi State fired Ben Howland on Thursday after seven seasons and a 134-98 record with just one NCAA Tournament appearance.



Jans guided No. 12 seed New Mexico State to a first-round upset of fifth-seeded UConn on Thursday in the NCAA tourney’s West Region.

The Aggies (27-7) ended their season Saturday with a 53-48 loss to No. 4 seed Arkansas.

“The Mississippi State Family is thrilled to welcome Chris Jans as our next head coach,” athletic director John Cohen said in a news release. “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.”

Winning Pedigree

Jans compiled a 122-32 record in five seasons at New Mexico State, winning four regular season titles in the Western Athletic Conference and earning three trips to the NCAA Tournament. He is a three-time WAC Coach of the Year.

Jans, 52, coached at Bowling Green for one season before taking over the Aggies program, posting a 21-12 record in 2014-15.

New Mexico State coach Chris Jans takes the Mississippi State job.

Can't lie, like this hire way more than the Florida/Georgia hires.

We all saw what NMSU is the last few games. Tough, physical, mean. Bulldogs got themselves a HELL of a coach https://t.co/mwfQarakY6

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) March 20, 2022

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)