Candidates to Replace Rick Ray as Mississippi State Head Coach

Jerod Haase

Mar 14, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; UAB Blazers head coach Jerod Haase cuts the net down after his team won the Conference USA Tournament Championship against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Jefferson Convention Complex. The Blazers defeated the Blue Raiders 73-60. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports .

Jerod Haase has been a coach that has come into the fold following the UAB Blazers program getting one of the most dramatic upsets of the year over Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament. The third-year head coach has achieved a 56-46 (.540) record during his time at UAB, his first head coaching job in his career. Haase was an assistant coach for North Carolina (2003-2012) and Kansas (1999-2003) before taking the position with the Blazers.

Those considerations should be fairly high marks for Haase, seeing as he has been on two highly-regarded programs as an assistant. He knows what it takes to win, and can coach this squad to a long NCAA Tournament tenure.