Chris Jans looks back on first season at Mississippi State, loss to Pitt: 'It'll help us going forward'

Chris Jans and Mississippi State fell to Pitt in the First Four Tuesday night, ending a strong first season in Starkville. The Panthers escaped with the win after a late surge, with Mississippi State missing the potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Pitt now advances to the Round of 64 vs. Iowa State and the Bulldogs, sadly, go home.

Objectively it was a strong first season for Jans, who was named head coach after 5 years at New Mexico State. Jans led the Bulldogs to a 21-13 final record, finishing 8-10 in conference play. Notable wins in Year 1 included Marquette, TCU, Texas A&M and Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena. Mississippi State started the season 11-0.

Jans looked back on his first year in Starkville following Tuesday night’s loss. Here’s what he had to say:

Chris Jans: “I’ll always remember this group for their belief, for their buy in, for their coachability… It’ll always be my first group at Mississippi State.”

— Stefan Krajisnik (@skrajisnik3) March 15, 2023

Chris Jans: “I know (fans) wanted more. I certainly wanted more. Our players wanted more. But we’ll have perspective here real soon, and I think we’ll all be proud of the accomplishments that this team had and the season that we had, and hopefully it’ll help us going forward.”

— Stefan Krajisnik (@skrajisnik3) March 15, 2023