Jans-Mania

Jans-mania is rolling through the Falcon Nation.

Tough to imagine a coach having a better initial reception than Jans is getting...people are very excited and for good reason.  By all measures, he appears to be a great hire...we'll detail the measures momentarily.  Just a quick note...today's just Day One.  Enthusiasm has to translate into results.  I don't say that to be cynical or pessimistic...its no different from what I have to do at my job or you have to do at your job.

Having said that, this feels like a really good and maybe perfect hire.  Kingston is 2-2 on getting WOW hires...I am looking very forward to watching the future unfold.  He is a good get and could easily have been mentioned for bigger and better jobs.

I don't know what Louis Orr was making, but Jans is reported by the Sentinel to be making $325,000 on a six-year deal.  If so, I believe Kingston took a stretch to get the right guy.  Six years is a long deal, too.  But, nothing comes for free.  You want a coach like this, you have to take a risk.  If it doesn't work out, its going to be painfully obvious (and painful) in year 4.

Here are the things to like about Jans:

1. He comes from Wichita State, a school that built itself to national prominence from a mid-major beginning.  They had a magical year this year, even with the loss this weekend.  If there's a model to follow, this is it.
2. He comes from a mid-major and below background.  I always think this is incredibly important.  You get an assistant from a major college, he is used to having everything he needs.  A coach from a mid-major with most of his career spent at junior college is used to making the most out of what he has.  This is the right background for coaching in the MAC.
3. He has head coaching experience.  Yes, it is at a junior college, but in coaching parlance, he has "called a time out."  
4. He was successful as a head coach.  He won a NJCAA title at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.  The team went from 11-20 to 56-16 in his 2 years.  He was 22-10 at Independence CC and 32-5 in 1 year at Chipola.  His overall record is 159-45.
5. He is said to be a good recruiter.  Hopefully, he is doing it today.  BG has a handful of scholarships available and he can start right away.  The USA Today credits him for landing SO standout Ron Baker for the Shockers.
6. As associate head coach, he had an active role in the Shocker program, running practices when Marshall was absent and being in charge of defensive assignments.  This will mesh well with BG.
7. I don't think Wichita played a strong "system" game, which means he can adapt with what is at BG and build on it right away.

In short, there are a lot of reasons to like this guy.  He's a proven winner and been associated with a program that did what we want to do.  I'm thrilled at the hire.

If you want some balance...he did move along quickly through his junior college assignments and did not stay anywhere long.  That might be typical in junior colleges, who knows.  I will say the same thing I always say...if he builds a winner here and gets a better offer, I say godspeed.  He'd only be doing what we would do.

Presser tomorrow at 12.  More after that.