Southern Miss coach Jay Ladner has signed an extension through the 2026-27 season, the school announced Wednesday.
The extension comes after Ladner led the Golden Eagles to a 25-8 record and an NIT berth this past season. Ladner was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year.
“We are extremely excited to have Jay Ladner continue to lead our men’s basketball program into the future,” Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain said in a news 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.”
Southern Miss won the Sun Belt regular season title. The Golden Eagles lost to UAB in the first round of the NIT.
Still, Southern Miss won 18 more games last season than it did during the 2021-22 campaign.
“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,” said Ladner, an alumnus who played on the school’s 1987 NIT championship club. “I am so grateful to our assistant coaches, staff and most of all our players, both past and present.”
Ladner is 49-73 in four seasons as Southern Miss coach with win totals of nine, eight and seven in his first three seasons.
He spent the previous five seasons at Southeastern Louisiana and went 76-88.
–Field Level Media