STARKVILLE – Mississippi State’s men’s basketball program is gearing up for an exciting season with a lineup of strategic promotions announced by head coach Chris Jans on Friday.
Patrice Days, Dillon Elder, Jovan Austin, and Scott Padgett have all earned new roles within the coaching staff. Days, Elder, and Padgett have been promoted to assistant coaches, while Austin will take on the pivotal role of director of recruiting for the program.
“We’ve been able to reward our staff recently for their work and for their commitment to Mississippi State basketball,” Jans commented. “We have a core group returning for our third season together which is great for communication, synergy, and production. Our recent additions will mesh well with our returning staff and their skill sets. I’m excited to see what this team can accomplish for the betterment of our players and our program.”
Under Jans’ leadership, the quartet has been instrumental in guiding Mississippi State back to prominence on the national stage, marked by consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and two 21-win seasons. The last time the Bulldogs achieved back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids was in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
Highlighting their recent achievements, the Bulldogs secured notable victories over Associated Press Top 10 opponents last season, including wins against No. 5 Tennessee and No. 8 Auburn. The team’s success in 2022-23 propelled them to a season start matching their second-best in program history and a ranking as high as No. 15 in the nation.
Notably, Humphrey Coliseum became a beacon of energy during the 2023-24 season with a record-setting seven sellouts, the highest for a season since 2008-09, including an impressive streak of four consecutive sellouts.
Looking forward, Mississippi State is already gearing up for the 2024-25 season by accepting season ticket deposits on their official website, www.HailState.com/tickets. For the latest updates and news on the men’s basketball program, fans are encouraged to visit www.HailState.com and follow ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
The promotions of Days, Elder, Austin, and Padgett signify the Bulldogs’ commitment to building on their recent successes and furthering their reputation as a force in collegiate basketball.
