Ball State hires Chris Capko as men’s basketball head coach

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Ball State men’s basketball hired SMU associate head coach Chris Capko as its men’s basketball head coach.

Capko has spent the last 10 seasons with head coach Andy Enfield at SMU and USC.

“This is a truly special opportunity, and I’m incredibly honored to be the 21st coach to lead the Ball State men’s basketball program,” Capko said in a news release. “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. 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.”

“Chris Capko is an exceptional basketball coach,” Ball State director of athletics Jeff Mitchell said. “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.”

In his two seasons at SMU, Capko helped lead the Mustangs to a 44-25 record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.

Capko was at USC from 2016-24 as both an assistant coach and an associate head coach. He helped lead ...