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Athletics

Final Four Coaches have Kirkwood Ties

By April 4, 2013November 26th, 2018No Comments

Chris Jans

Wichita State associate head coach and assistant coach were once Eagles

Two current members of the Final Four-bound Wichita State Shockers coaching staff were once Kirkwood Community College Eagles. Shockers Associate Head Coach Chris Jans is the former head men’s basketball coach at Kirkwood. He is joined on the staff by one of his former Kirkwood players, Greg Heiar.

Jans became the head coach of the Kirkwood men’s team in 1996 and wasted no time in taking the program into uncharted waters. In his first season at the helm, Jans’s Eagles won the conference and regional championship on their way to the school’s first appearance in the NJCAA national tournament. The team’s turnaround from an 11-20 record to a 25-10 mark helped earn him the Region XI Coach of the Year award. The next season, Jans coached the team to the pinnacle of success as the Eagles went 31-6 and won the NJCAA National Championship. He was once again awarded the Region XI Coach of the Year award as well as the NJCAA National Coach of the Year.

Shockers Assistant Coach Greg Heiar helped win that 1998 national title. As the captain of the team, Heiar earned second-team All-Region honors. This success was a springboard for his coaching career after Kirkwood.

Eagle’s Athletics Director Doug Wagemester played with Jans at Loras College in Dubuque and knows Heiar as well. He understands what they bring to the Wichita State program.

“Chris and Greg are both great competitors,” said Wagemester. “Greg learned under Chris as a player and assistant. They have aggressive approaches to coaching on both ends of the floor, but clearly the staple of what they teach begins and ends with man to man defense.”

Wagemester credits Jans with putting Kirkwood men’s basketball on the map of college athletics.

“It’s safe to say that he was responsible for turning the men’s basketball program into a regional and national contender during his short stint here,” said Wagemester.

Wichita State faces Louisville Saturday with a chance to head to the National Championship game on Monday.