Before being introduced as Mississippi State’s new men’s basketball coach, Chris Jans got the chance to take a tour of Humphrey Coliseum.
As soon as he stepped out of the tunnel onto the court, he got goosebumps.
“When I walked out underneath it like I would on game day, I just had a bunch of emotions run over my body,” Jans said. “That’s going to be my perspective, for the most part — standing at that level. It just felt good. It just felt good. It felt right.”
And soon, it’s going to look even better.
Currently, Humphrey Coliseum is under construction, just like the basketball programs it houses.
Both the men’s and women’s teams at Mississippi State hired new head coaches in March, with Jans leading the men and Louisville assistant Sam Purcell tapped to coach the women.
Renovations to the Hump won’t be completed until the start of the 2023-24 season, but Jans is happy to know the Bulldogs are elevating their facilities just as he steps in.
“Certainly, trying to keep up with the Joneses is always a part of college athletics at this level, and it was awesome to know that that was the direction that we’re going in,” Jans said.
Construction began toward the end of basketball season, and the Bulldogs chose not to host a first-round NIT game. Already, caution tape and chain-link fences surround the back of the building.
Phase one of the renovations has a $34.5 million price tag, according to the Clarion Ledger. Thrash Commercial Contractors, Inc., is in charge of the project. It will include expanding the concourse, providing better sight lines to the court, upgrading the restrooms and adding a new club level with 580 club seats.
“With the premium seating on the way, the renovations in the concourse area, the fan experience, the game experience is going to be even better,” Jans said.
The former New Mexico State coach said he’d already seen and heard good things about the Hump. He said he could tell the arena tends to get loud during games and praised the “verticality” of the seats.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s a bad seat in the house,” Jans said.
That will remain the case once renovations are completed, though there will be fewer seats — Mississippi State said capacity will decrease to roughly 9,450 from the original 10,272.
As it happens, Jans comes from a smaller school with a larger arena than the Hump. New Mexico State’s Pan American Center holds 12,482 fans.
But he’s never coached in the Southeastern Conference, and he knows that will be a different animal.
Jans has seen the SEC firsthand twice in the postseason, nearly upsetting Auburn as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2019 and losing to Arkansas in the second round this season after beating fifth-seeded UConn.
“Everybody knows how good of basketball is being played right now in the SEC,” Jans said.
Athletic director John Cohen noted it’s not just basketball — where there are five first-time head coaches in the conference — in which the SEC excels. Football is king, of course, but even in baseball, SEC tournament tickets sold out in just 10 minutes, according to Cohen.
The Mississippi State athletic director said facilities matter — but the conference brand matters more.
“I think coaches want to be a part of this league in all sports because it has been elevated,” Cohen said. “The coaching in this league is at a level that it’s never been before. The competition is at a level that it’s never been before. The facilities are at a level that they’ve never been before. I don’t think there’s ever been a time to get into this league like right now, and I know that Chris was certainly excited about it.”
Jans will get to play on a whole new level after coming from what he described as “humble beginnings.” He was born and raised in a trailer park — and “proud of it” — in an Iowa town with no stoplights. Jans said his high school had four roads, two of which were gravel.
He’s come a long way since. Next up? Coaching in the arena Jans’ colleagues raved about when they were part of visiting teams that played in Starkville.
“Obviously, I can’t wait to feel it myself,” Jans said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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