MSU men’s basketball coach Chris Jans signs contract extension

Mississippi State Athletics:

STARKVILLE – Fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first year leading the Mississippi State men’s basketball program, Chris Jans has signed a contract extension through the 2026-27 season. Director of Athletics Zac Selmon made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

“Chris Jans is an elite coach who has made a major impact on Mississippi State Men’s Basketball in short time,” Selmon said. “He and his staff have elevated our program on and off the court, through a culture of accountability, student-athlete development, toughness, hard work and excellence. I look forward to continuing to work with Chris as we elevate our men’s basketball program to greater heights.”

“We are grateful for Dr. Mark Keenum and Director of Athletics Zac Selmon for the belief in our vision for Mississippi State Men’s Basketball,” Jans said. “This will also allow our tremendous staff to be rewarded for their expertise and hard work. Sheri and I have settled into Starkville and continue to be impressed with all the people we have met and especially our loyal fan base. We are already looking forward to next season in the new and improved Humphrey Coliseum.”

A proven winner, Jans will enter the 2023-24 season fifth among NCAA active coaches with a .742 winning percentage behind only Mark Few (Gonzaga), Bill Self (Kansas), Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) and John Calipari (Kentucky).

During his first season in Starkville, Jans led the Bulldogs back to college basketball’s biggest stage with 21 victories and a NCAA Tournament appearance. He was one of eight coaches to guide their team to a 2022-23 NCAA Tournament bid during their first season, while the 21 wins were a program single-season record for a first-year coach. Jans became one of 10 SEC coaches to amass at least 21 wins and secure a NCAA Tournament berth during their first season in league history.

Mississippi State climbed as high as No. 15 in the national rankings after an 11-0 start which matched the program’s second-best start to a season. The Maroon and White captured signature wins over Marquette, the BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion. State finished the regular season as one of the nation’s hottest teams winning eight of its last 11 games fueled by top 25 triumphs versus TCU and Texas A&M along with a NCAA NET Quad 1 road victory over Arkansas.

Mississippi State and Rutgers were the only programs to finish the 2022-23 campaign rank inside the nation’s top 25 in scoring defense (61.0 – 9th), opponent field goal percentage (39.4 – 10th) and steals per game (8.6 – 23rd).

Jans has built the foundation of his programs on a culture of accountability. His teams have racked up 20-plus victories on 12 occasions over his 13 seasons as a head coach at the NCAA Division I and NJCAA junior college ranks.

Jans places an emphasis on player development. Tolu Smith earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District, United States Basketball Writers of American (USBWA) All-District and All-SEC First-Team accolades. The Bulldogs had three players, Dashawn Davis, Cameron Matthews, Shakeel Moore, capture at least 50 steals for the first time in program history.

Mississippi State is now accepting new season ticket deposits for the 2023-24 season. Seat locations will be picked during a full reseat this September based on Bulldog Club ranking. More information on the seat selection process will be available at a later date. Visit HailState.com/Tickets to make your deposit.

Humphrey Coliseum will become one of the premier arenas in the nation as major renovations continue ahead of the upcoming season. If interested in making contributions to Humphrey Coliseum, please contact the Bulldog Club at contact the Bulldog Club at 662-325-3074.

Visit HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men’s basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.