Southern Miss basketball coach Jay Ladner signs contract extension
Jay Ladner, Southern Miss’ head men’s basketball coach, signed a contract extension through the 2026-2027 season, the Southern Miss athletic department announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Ladner’s extension comes on the heels of a successful 25-8 season in which Ladner led the Golden Eagles to the Sun Belt regular season title. In the 2021-2022 season, the team won just seven games, making the team’s record in 2022-2023 only two games shy of the best turnaround in NCAA history.
“We are extremely excited to have Jay Ladner continue to lead our men’s basketball program into the future,” said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain in the press release. “Jay has done a tremendous job of engaging our community and working to rebuild our program to contend for championships. As we continue to invest in our future, we look forward to Jay’s leadership being a catalyst for our sustained success.”
Ladner, a Hattiesburg native and Southern Miss alumni, was also named NABC District 23 Coach of the Year, Joe Gottfried Sun Belt Coach of the Year and a Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year finalist for the 2022-2023 season.
“I’m very blessed and humbled to continue to be the head basketball coach at this incredible institution that has meant so much to me and my family,” Ladner said in the press release. “I am so grateful to our assistant coaches, staff and most of all our players, both past and present. To out loyal fans who have reawakened Reed Green Coliseum to make it one of the toughest venues in America, thank you!”
The Golden Eagles’ 25 wins in the 2022-2023 season are tied for the most in Southern Miss’ Division I era and four shy of being tied for the most wins in program history.
Ladner, who is entering his fifth season as the Southern Miss head men’s basketball coach, has previously coached at St. Stanislaus High School, Oak Grove High School, Jones County Junior College and Southeastern Louisiana.
