Long before Mississippi State, Chris Jans came face-to-face with Michael Jordan's Bulls dynasty

STARKVILLE – It only took Chris Jans one season to earn a 50% pay raise from Elmhurst College. Working as an assistant basketball coach under Scott Trost, Jans impressed so much his salary jumped from $1,000 to $1,500.

Even 30 years ago, that wasn’t nearly enough to make ends meet. Jans, the new coach at Mississippi State, had to find side gigs to provide while living just outside Chicago.

Illinois was battling a substitute teacher shortage, so Jans was a fit even with a degree in marketing and finance. He valeted cars on the weekends. He helped at basketball academies and stemmed his interest outside the court to help Elmhurst’s football and baseball coaches with recruiting.

“Not because I was a great recruiter,” Jans said, “just because I had nothing to do and they knew I needed money.”

For a trailer park boy out of Fairbank, Iowa, Jans understood humble beginnings. And he understood the struggles that come with working up the coaching ranks.

But he found an opportunity at Elmhurst, and coaching basketball in the Chicago area during the early 1990s was a strong start. 

CHRIS JANS' NEW FIT: A look into his first couple months at Mississippi State

A young Chris Jans

Trost remembers the difficulty of finding an assistant. He had to find someone willing to live in the dorms and accept a minute salary.  

“To find guys who were hungry and willing to do that was tough at that time,” Trost said. “But Chris separated himself.”

Trost saw someone with an infectious personality who people gravitated toward. He considered Jans a “go-getter” who was comfortable going beyond the expected.

Jans’ willingness to accept a full-time workload for a job rewarding well below stood out to Trost, and Elmhurst’s players noticed.

“I’m not surprised Chris is doing what he’s doing,” former Elmhurst player Grant Dietmeier said. “You could tell he was driver. You could tell he was passionate, love basketball, very focused, hard-working, very outgoing and likeable.”

Jans being fresh out of college made him relatable to players. That ability made him a strong recruiter in the eyes of Trost, though they can't take credit for the best player to walk through their gym.

Getting to know the GOAT

Jans worked  on the side by helping sell concessions or memorabilia during the hot summer weeks at Elmhurst. Every summer, NBA superstar Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls would host a five-week camp at Elmhurst, and the school’s staff and players assisted.

The Bulls and Jordan were the talk of the NBA. Their first run of three straight championships started during the 1990-91 season.

Dietmeier and Trost had more pressing roles within the camps as they’d help coach or referee the scrimmages, but after hours is where they got their time’s worth.

NBA players typically sign agreements to avoid pick-up games for fear of injury. But not Jordan.

He’d gather counselors for late-night exhibitions – ranging from Dietmeier to NBA star Scottie Pippen and Bulls' teammates Stacey King or Matt Maloney.

At least one scrimmage was open for the campers to watch Jordan in action, but  the battles extended further. Jordan would come in around 8 p.m. and challenge the adults  until about midnight.

Jordan rarely got beat, but Pippen can’t say the same. There was an Elmhurst teammate, Dietmeier remembers, who was hardly 6-foot but had explosive hops.

“If you looked at him, you wouldn’t think that he could do what he could do,” Dietmeier said. “And Scottie Pippen I think underestimated him one time, and he dunked on him.”

Dietmeier never executed a highlight play of that caliber, but he owns a signed photo of the counselors with Jordan along with an autographed North Carolina Tar Heels hat as proof.

Jans’ best memories with Jordan came off the court. Jans often sat with Jordan in an office prior to camps as the Bulls guard discussed his golf rounds from the previous day.

Jordan’s first retirement along with his decision to play for Team USA in 1992 limited his participation in the camp, so fellow Bulls such as Kendall Gill and B.J. Armstrong took over.

Jans built a strong relationship with Gill and Armstrong as they’d often face off  in racquetball. He recalls taking extra caution to avoid embarrassing himself or hurting Armstrong as dozens of campers looked on.

For an assistant with slim earnings, it was an experience worth the struggles.

“It was unbelievable timing on my part,” Jans said.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.