Head Basketball Coach Jay Ladner signs contract extension with Southern Miss
After failing to crack double digit wins during his first three seasons as Southern Miss head men’s basketball coach, Jay Ladner managed to win more games in year four than he did those first three years combined.
The end result: job security.
Today, USM announced a four-year contract extension with Ladner, who led the Golden Eagles to the Sun Belt regular season title and an overall record of 25-8.
The program’s 18-win turnaround is just two wins shy of the biggest improvement in NCAA history.
In the weeks that followed, Ladner was named NABC District 23 Coach of the Year, Joe Gottfried Sun Belt Coach of the Year, and a Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year finalist.
Ladner was a part of USM’s 1987 NIT championship team and led the Black and Gold to the NIT this year.
Mississippi State basketball re-upping with Chris Jans after one season, but it was a great one season.
Jans leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and just the second time since 2009 before losing to Pittsburgh in the first four opening round.
MSU finishing with an overall record of 21-13, it’s best win total since winning 23 games in 2019.
