MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Ball State named former SMU associate head coach Chris Capko as its head coach Friday, just two days after the Mustangs were eliminated in March Madness.
It’s the first head coaching job for the 42-year-old Capko, who spent nearly two decades working his way through the ranks of college assistant. He replaces Michael Lewis, who was fired two weeks ago after four sub-par seasons with the Cardinals.
“Chris Capko is an exceptional basketball coach,” athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement released by the athletic department. “His breadth of experience at the NCAA Division I level, combined with his elite recruiting acumen and expertise in player development, set him apart from an incredibly strong pool of candidates and made him the best coach to lead our program.”
Capko spent the past two seasons as SMU’s top assistant to coach Andy Enfield and was widely regarded as one of the nation’s best assistant coaches.
The Mustangs capped a 44-25 run over the last two seasons by earning their first NCAA Tournament at-large bid since 1993 while making their first tourney appearance since 2017.
SMU’s season ended with Wednesday’s 89-79 loss to Miami (Ohio) in a First Four game at Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Capko also worked on Enfield’s staff the previous eight seasons at Southern California, the last three as associate head coach. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Marshall prior to his stops at Stetson, Georgia Southern and Florida International before joining Enfield at USC.
During his tenure with the Trojans, eight players made the NBA — the fourth highest total of any Division I school, trailing only Duke (20), Kentucky (19), Kansas (9) and Michigan (9).
He takes over the Cardinals immediately and outlined how he intends to overhaul the program in Muncie.
“We will build this program on a foundation of character, toughness and accountability — developing young men who represent this university the right way on and off the court,” Capko said. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of building winning programs in my previous tenures, and will bring that same level of discipline, drive and competitive edge to Muncie. Our vision is clear: Build a program our community is proud of and compete for championships.”
A native of Lakeland, Florida, Capko started his college playing career at Florida under coach Billy Donovan, then transferred to South Florida where he played three seasons, was elected a team captain and was the school’s nominee for Big East Student-Athlete of the Year in 2007. He finished fifth in the league in assists as a junior.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness