from Matt DunawayDirector/Communication
STARKVILLE – Jovan Austin, a graduate assistant on two of New Mexico State’s NCAA Tournament teams, has rejoined the Chris JansStaff as announced Friday by the Director of Operations for Mississippi State men’s basketball.
Austin spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2019-20, Panola College in 2020-21 and Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRVG) in 2021-22. His Texas A&M-Commerce team won 18 games headlined by three victories over NCAA Division II ranked opponents.
Prior to his time as an assistant coach, Austin served as a graduate assistant at New Mexico State, where the Aggies compiled a 58-11 record during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The Aggies captured a pair of WAC regular-season and tournament titles and nearly upset 2019 NCAA Final Four participant Auburn in the opening round.
“We are excited to have a coach John Austin “Reunites” with our basketball family,” Jans said. “He’s been with us before as both a player and a coach. Coach Austin is a rising star in the business and will move the needle in a positive direction for our program.”
Austin had the opportunity to suit up for Jans at Bowling Green as a junior in 2014-15. The Falcons racked up 21 wins, one of the nation’s best turnarounds.
Austin finished his playing career at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2016-17 and helped his team to a trip to the NCAA Division II tournament.
The Grand Prairie, Texas native began his collegiate career at Angelo State, where he won the 2012-13 Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.
Austin played his sophomore campaign at Paris Junior College. He garnered a second-team all-conference and a third-team all-region selection. His team posted 26 wins and advanced to the NJCAA Sweet 16 tournament.
At the prep level, Austin was a three-time letterwinner at South Grande Prairie High School. The District 7-5A offensive MVP led the team to a 35-3 record and won a district title as a senior.
Austin earned his bachelor’s degree in General Studies from Texas A&M-Commerce in December 2016.
Fans can purchase season tickets through the Mississippi State Athletic Ticket Office starting at $155 at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 for the program’s highly anticipated first season under Chris Jans.
Mississippi State’s 2022-23 non-conference schedule also features an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup with TCU, a consensus No. 25 preseason pick, on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs also have a return trip scheduled to Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 11. State joins Georgia Tech, Marquette and Utah in the 2022 Fort Myers Tipoff from Nov. 21-23.
The Maroon and White has also learned its 2022-23 SEC opponents. State will welcome 2022 NCAA postseason participants Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M in addition to Missouri, Ole Miss and South Carolina to Humphrey Coliseum.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men’s basketball program. Fans can also follow the program on its social media by searching for ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
