Mississippi State Basketball: 7 candidates to replace Ben Howland as head coach

Matt McMahon

What exactly would this list be if we didn’t include McMahon? He’s already an attractive candidate at every single other power conference job that is open, and you better believe he could work wonders with Mississippi State just as well. In a world where the Shaka Smart’s and Porter Moser’s have already left their mid-majors for better jobs, it’s McMahon’s turn to be the center of attention.

McMahon was a guard at Appalachian State who spent most of his early career on staff with his alma mater. Things really got going when he joined Steve Prohm’s staff at Murray State, succeeding him as head coach in 2015. The highlight came when he recruited Ja Morant and led the Racers to an NCAA Tournament win in 2019, but this highlight is no longer alone. This past Thursday, the Racers scored another Tourney win and sit in great position to do even more damage in the Tournament.

We don’t need to spend this last paragraph defending the fit; McMahon could and would be a fantastic hire at any SEC school, especially for a Mississippi State program needed a recharge. He was hired the same offseason as Howland and has two more Tourney wins despite coaching in the typically 1-bid OVC. He’s going to do some fantastic work through the rest of his career, especially if he can keep finding these gems like Morant on the recruiting trail.