Dawgs Dancing With First-Year Coaches
March 13, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – One year ago, Mississippi State decided a change of direction was needed for both its men's and women's basketball programs.
The Bulldogs brought in a pair of coaches with extensive NCAA Tournament experience in Chris Jans and Sam Purcell in hopes of getting both programs back in the mix for March Madness.
Neither coach wasted any time in turning that goal into a reality.
Jans and Purcell guided their respective programs back to The Big Dance during their first seasons, becoming the first coaches in MSU history to do so. The Bulldogs are also the only school since the turn of the century to have both their men's and women's basketball teams reach the NCAA Tournament under first-year head coaches.
"One of the selling points was when we arrived was that we weren't trying to be a Year 2 or Year 3 team, we were trying to win in Year 1," Jans said. "I needed them to believe in what we were trying to tell them."
Jans' Bulldogs bought in right from the beginning. State started the year off 11-0 as Jans became one of only three coaches in SEC history begin their careers off that well and climbed as high as No. 15 in the nation.
Mississippi State, however, hit a bump on its road to March Madness after starting off SEC play at 1-7. But the Bulldogs regained some confidence when they stepped out of conference and earned an overtime win over then No. 11 TCU. They continued to roll down the stretch by winning eight of the final 11 games to close out the regular season and added an overtime win against Florida in the SEC Tournament to solidify their postseason resume.
"(Jans) told us at the beginning of the year that he didn't want to tell people that it's his first year and doesn't have the guys that he wants," said junior forward Cameron Matthews. "He's always believed that we can get to where we're at right now. We're just piggybacking off of that and riding with Jans until the end."
Jans is making his fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last five years in which it has been held. He took New Mexico State to the second round a year ago before taking over a Bulldog squad that had spent the last two postseasons in the National Invitational Tournament.
"Coach Jans got us over that hump," said senior forward D.J. Jeffries. "He never let us get complacent or comfortable. He always pushed us each and every day to get better. The reward shows now that we're in The Big Dance. None of us have really done that in our careers and I couldn't be more happy."
Likewise, Purcell showed up Starkville coming off a run to last year's Final Four as an associate coach at Louisville. Purcell inherited a Bulldog program that made back-to-back appearances in the national championship game in 2017 and 2018 but had missed the postseason altogether in the two years prior to his arrival.
In his initial season as a head coach, Purcell became the only coach in MSU history to reach the 20-win milestone and also post a winning record in SEC play during their first year.
"There was a lot of doubt on the women's side of where the program was going," Purcell said. "And for it to come full circle in a calendar year and sit here and see great days ahead is a blessing. And as much as we're going to make a splash and a run like no other, hopefully this is just the beginning of many years like this to come."
The Bulldogs enter March Madness with a 20-10 overall record and finished tied for fifth in the SEC standings with a 9-7 mark. Like the men's team, State's women rolled through the non-conference slate with an 11-2 record and started league play off with a win over Vanderbilt.
However, the Bulldogs lost five of their next eight outings but were able to catch fire once again in February. Purcell's squad posted a 5-2 record during the final month of the regular season, which was ignited by a double overtime win against Tennessee.
And while Purcell is proud of all the achievements his program has achieved during his first year, he isn't ready to start looking back at their accomplishments just yet.
"I talked to the team about how many positive statements we can make in Year 1," Purcell said. "And boy, we have made a lot. But for me right now, my mind is not in a stage of reflection. It's on the gas pedal. Right now, let's just keep riding this wave. We're grateful and blessed to be in this tournament and now that we've cracked that door open, let's kick it and see how far we can go."
