He acknowledged that he was struggling to keep up with this MSU tradition upon his landing.
He hopes to improve his skills by scoring more victories with the Bulldogs.
Jans was officially introduced Wednesday. He promised that his program would be full of confidence and swagger. Although that will depend on who stays, who comes via the transfer portal, and how recruiting goes, Jans is determined to transform MSU from its current state into a regular NCAA Tournament participant.
Jans said, that this was a “dream opportunity” after leading New Mexico State to the second round in the NCAA Tournament. “I have been coaching for 30+ years, and I was looking to coach in a place like Mississippi State when I began this journey.
“I never dreamed of going to Mississippi State. It wasn’t my dream job. I wanted to be where it was important. We were playing against and with the best college basketball players and coaches. We’ll have the chance to do that at Mississippi State and in the SEC.
Jans, 52 led the 12th-seeded Aggies in a first round upset of No. 5 Connecticut, before falling to No. He’ll be seeing Arkansas often in the Southeastern Conference. His career record as a head coach is 143-44, including 122-32 in five seasons with NMSU and three Western Athletic Conference Tournament titles.
His winning percentage of.765 ranks fourth among active head coach, behind Kansas’ Bill Self (.768), Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (7.766).
MSU’s NCAA appearance in 2019 was the last under Ben Howland, who left last week. The Bulldogs had a record of 134-98 under Howland, who also held three NIT berths in the four years prior to his departure. They finished ninth this season, finishing 18-16 in 10th after a fourth-place finish in the SEC in the 2019-20 season was halted by the coronavirus epidemic.
John Cohen, the athletic director, stated that there was a lot of interest in the job and it was important to quickly find Howland’s successor. Jans examined all qualities that he was looking for, with his outstanding record being the most evident.
Cohen stated that Jans is a leader and a winner. Many industry experts consider him to be one the best coaches in the country. His resume speaks for itself.
Jans met half of his roster this week, but severe weather delayed a meeting with the rest. Although Jans, a Fairbank, Iowa native, didn’t promise a style but Arkansas’ high-octane offense was held to season lows in scoring (28%) and shooting in the 53–48 West Region loss indicates that his teams will not be surprised.
He said, “We’re not going to step on to the floor without having a chip on us shoulder.”
Jans’ appointment follows the March 12 hire of Sam Purcell, a long-serving Louisville assistant, as MSU women’s basketball coach. When the top-seeded Cardinals have finished the women’s NCAA Tournament, Jans will assume control of the program.