Mississippi State basketball has not had the season they were hoping for, but that isn't stopping their head coach's name from being mentioned on coaching hot boards. Kansas State fired HC Jerome Tang over the weekend, and according to CBS Sports' Bulldog HC Chris Jans may be someone the Wildcats target for the opening.
Coming off his final season at New Mexico State, Jans was considered a candidate for the K-State job when Tang was hired, in the same cycle that he ultimately went to Starkville. Would he show any interest in the job this time around?
Jans is a native of Iowa and has spent much of his coaching career across the Midwest and Great Plains regions, including several years in Kansas as an assistant at Wichita State. It's a part of the country he knows well, and he'd be closer to home.
The Kansas State program is also one with quite a bit of modern success. Since 2008 the Wildcats have won a pair of Big 12 titles, reached the NCAA Tournament 10 times, and made the Elite Eight on three occassions. Though they'll always be a little-brother to Kansas on the hardwood, K-State is clearly a place where you can win.
Finally, the Big 12 has established a brand as a "basketball-centric" conference. Though football is No. 1 in Manhattan, Wildcat hoops are the clear next top priority for the university. The means are their to field a consistently strong team.
Would any of that be enough to convince Chris Jans from leaving Starkville? That's hard to say. K-State can't offer the SEC money Mississippi State can, but they can offer a stronger history of winning and, arguably, a greater focus on basketball. If Jans wanted to get back closer to home and felt his ceiling might be higher with the Wildcats, he may consider.
Despite rough season, Mississippi State does not want to lose Chris Jans
Chris Jans' popularity in Starkville has taken a bit of a hit this season with his Bulldogs owning a losing record and bound to miss the NCAA Tournament. It's his first down year at State, but it coming during Josh Hubbard's best season and with no prior postseason success to point to has created some frustrations.
Still, Mississippi State does not want to lose Chris Jnas after this year. A down year should not overshadow the fact that Jans is the first ever State coach with three-straight seasons of 20+ wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance to start his career. He's been a good coach at a program that has struggled to find consistent success historically.
And he could have a strong roster for 2026-2027 in Starkville if he returns. Josh Hubbard will be a senior, the young contributors from this team will be ready for bigger roles, and another highly-ranked signing class is on the way in. Losing Jans would mean MSU would risk losing several of those pieces. If Kansas State, or any program for that matter, makes a play at Jans, State should absolutely still fight to keep him.