New Mexico State’s Chris Jans expected to be named Mississippi State men’s basketball coach

(Photo courtesy of Rick Bowmer, AP)

Approximately 12 hours after being eliminated by Arkansas in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, sources have confirmed to WCBI that New Mexico State head men’s basketball coach Chris Jans is expected to leave the Aggies and become the Bulldogs’ 21st head coach in program history. Athletics Director John Cohen has found his man.

He’s taking over for Ben Howland, who was fired Thursday after seven seasons.

Jans has spent the last five seasons with New Mexico State and made the NCAA Tournament three times (Aggies were WAC regular season champions in 2019-20 before the rest of postseason play was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Jans won at least 25 games each season besides last year. With the exception of the 2020-21 slate, Jans was incredibly successful in his time as the Aggies head coach.

Prior to his time in Las Cruces, Jans spent the 2014-15 season as the head coach of Bowling Green State. He led the Falcons to a 21-12 record but was fired after one season following a university investigation.

“The University concluded that Jans’ public conduct failed to meet his obligations as a head coach and the expectations that BGSU Athletics has for its coaches,” Bowling Green said in a statement.

A video later surfaced involving an incident with Jans and a woman at a bar. Jans later released the following statement:

“On March 21st I made a mistake for which I sincerely apologize. After our final loss of the season I went to a bar to be amongst friends, became intoxicated and proceeded to act in a manner which was inappropriate. I have tried to instill in every student I’ve coached the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions, and that is what I am trying to do now. I have been completely forthcoming and honest with the Bowling Green State University administration during this process. I immediately made efforts to apologize to those offended that evening including the woman who approached me that night to chastise me for my conduct. Although I have already apologized to my wife, my family, my players and coaches, I want to now publicly apologize to everyone else, including any one in the BGSU community who may have been affected by this matter — I am truly sorry.”

Jans is expected to be formally introduced and meet with the media in Starkville in the coming days.