NMSU head coach Chris Jans announces return for next season
Justin Martinez
LAS CRUCES – The speculations can officially be put to rest.
News broke of East Tennessee State's interest in hiring New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans on Monday. But, after two days of being left to wonder, the three-time WAC Coach of the Year put an end to the discussion.
Jans announced via Twitter on Wednesday that he will return to the Aggies next season, summing things up nicely with a photo of Pistol Pete and the caption "Let's Run It Back. #AggieUp #UnfinishedBusiness."
"(My wife) Sheri and I are excited to remain a part of the Las Cruces community and New Mexico State University," Jans later said in a statement. "Our staff and I will continue to work hard to make Aggie Nation proud of this historic program. Although we appreciate the attention the program has received, we are looking forward to getting back on the floor with our players."
The Fairbank, Iowa, native is now entering his fourth season as New Mexico State's shot caller with an 83-17 record under his belt.
“I think Chris is a tremendous asset, not just to the athletic department but to the university and Las Cruces," New Mexico State athletics director Mario Moccia said. "What he has done in three years is pretty darn phenomenal... I’m really happy that we’ll have him also with a tremendous team on paper coming back.”
Jans remains under contract through the 2022-2023 season with an annual base salary of $290,000. After being paid his yearly retention bonus of $216,000 on Nov. 1, the university has a verbal agreement in place to up that number moving forward.
The new amount hasn't been disclosed yet, although Moccia says it will be made possible through "donor money and creativity."
"I will say this, anything contractually is going to be without adding one penny to the athletic budget," Moccia said.
Even with the increased retention bonus, Moccia acknowledges that Jans' pay still doesn't fully reflect his value to the program.
Jans' base salary remains well below that of both New Mexico head coach Paul Weir ($725,000) and UTEP head coach Rodney Terry ($725,000).
"I think compared to his regional peers, Chris is still significantly undervalued," Moccia said.
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Justin Martinez can be reached at (575) 541-5455, JMMartinez@lcsun-news.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to the Las Cruces Sun-News to stay up to date with all local sports.