JAY LADNER

Head Men's Basketball Coach

Former Southern Miss student-athlete and 1988 graduate Jay Ladner is entering his sixth season as the head men's basketball coach of his alma mater.

The Hattiesburg native made his return to the Golden Eagle bench for the Sun Belt Tournament during the 2023-24 season after suffering a heart attack days before Southern Miss was scheduled to play on Feb. 7.

Prior to the life-changing day, Ladner had guided Southern Miss through arguably one of the most challenging road stretches in program history. The Golden Eagles played 15 games away from Reed Green Coliseum through the first 23 games of the season.

The Golden Eagle bench boss saw Austin Crowley depart the program after becoming the seventh-fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points at Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles finished 16-16 and went 11-3 at home during Ladner's fifth season.

Ladner took his alma mater to the next level during the 2022-23 season, guiding the Golden Eagles to a Sun Belt regular season title and NIT berth. After a seven-win season in 2021-22, Ladner aided Southern Miss to 25 wins during his fourth year at the helm. It was the biggest turnaround in Division I basketball history. The Golden Eagles enjoyed a 15-0 mark at Reed Green Coliseum and had a sellout crowd against Louisiana on Feb. 9, 2023. It was the first sellout since Memphis in 2008.

Ladner was named the Joe Gottfried Sun Belt Coach of the Year and NABC District 23 Coach of the Year. He was a Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year finalist as well. He helped coach Austin Crowley, Felipe Haase and DeAndre Pinckney to All-Sun Belt honors, while Crowley was the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.

The 2020-21 season, Ladner's second in charge, saw the Golden Eagles rally through the COVID season. Some of the team's accomplishments included first-year junior guard Tae Hardy earning Player of the Week honors following an otherworldly second-half performance at FIU and Jaron Pierre Jr. becoming the school's first C-USA All-Freshman Team honoree since 2011.

Ladner's first year at the helm saw the Golden Eagles, despite returning only 36 and 38 percent of its minutes and scoring, respectively, from a year ago, fight to a 9-22 record. Southern Miss also played the 13th-toughest non-conference schedule according to KenPom, including three consecutive nights against No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 13 Seton Hall and Alabama in the prestigious Battle 4 Atlantis. The Black and Gold also led defending national runner-up Texas Tech by seven at the half in Lubbock, and Tyler Stevenson finished as the fourth-most improved sophomore in terms of scoring from his freshman year (12.8 ppg from 3.3).

Under Ladner's leadership, Southeastern improved from nine wins his first year to win 12, 16 and 22 contests in succeeding years. It was the school's first 20-win season since reaching the 2005 NCAA Tournament and the third in its Division I era. The 2018-19 squad featured two First-Team, All-Southland performers in Marlain Veal and Moses Greenwood, just the third time in school history that two Lions earned that distinction. Overall, Ladner mentored eight All-Conference performers in his five years.

The famed NIT championship team defeated Ole Miss, Saint Louis, Vanderbilt, Nebraska and La Salle en route to the title in Madison Square Garden under legendary coach M.K. Turk.

Ladner's coaching credentials feature a 511-189 record in the high school ranks, from St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis to his alma mater, Oak Grove. He led St. Stanislaus to 10 state tournament appearances, including the 2011 title for which he was named the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) Coach of the Year.

Ladner then took his talents to the collegiate ranks, spending the 2012-14 seasons as head coach at Jones County Junior College. The Bobcats were 17-8 in his first season, finishing second in the MACJC's South Division, and during the 2013-14 season became the first Mississippi junior college to win a national title. JCJC set a school record for wins at 28-5 and became the lowest-seeded school to win a NJCAA basketball title in any division, as well as the first school in tournament history to win five games in five days for the title.

The Hattiesburg native received his bachelor's degree in pre-medicine/biology, with a minor in chemistry, from Southern Miss in 1988. While at Southern Miss for his undergraduate degree, he played baseball in the '85 and '86 seasons, but played basketball from '84-'88, playing a part as a member of the NIT Champion team in '87. Upon graduation, he entered the pharmaceutical sales business, covering the Mississippi Gulf Coast out to Covington, La., before beginning his high-school coaching career at St. Stanislaus in 1992. He received his master's degree in educational administration from Southern Miss in 1999. Ladner graduated from Oak Grove High School in 1984.

Ladner has two children, Chelsea and Luke. Chelsea is an attorney in Jackson, Miss. and Luke currently plays basketball for Loyola in New Orleans.

WIN CASE

Associate Head Coach

Southern Miss head men's basketball coach Jay Ladner announced the hiring of Win Case on June 6, 2025. Case, who will be the associate head coach, has been a mainstay in collegiate basketball for over 30 years.

Case has been tabbed as the Associate Head Coach as he brings over 38 years of experience to the Golden Eagles staff after most recently spending time at Ole Miss. A respected recruiter in the collegiate game, Case served as the primary recruiter for former Rebels Matthew Murrell and Deashun Ruffin, two of the highest ranked recruits in program history.

“I’d like to start by thanking Jeremy McClain and Coach Ladner for this incredible opportunity with Southern Miss,” Case said. “This program has a great tradition and I’m excited to be a part of it. I cannot wait to hit the ground running in Hattiesburg and get started on preparing our team for success for the upcoming season and beyond.”

As part of the 2021 class, Ruffin became the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with the Rebels out of high school. During the staff’s first full recruiting cycle (2019), Case helped assemble a top-20 class, one of the best in Ole Miss history.

Ole Miss posted a 20-13 overall record to go along with a 10-8 mark to place sixth in the SEC in his first season, well ahead of the media’s last-place prediction. Case guided All-SEC guards Breein Tyree (first team) and Terence Davis (second team), the highest scoring duo in conference games at 19.1 ppg and 15.5 ppg, respectively.

Prior to his arrival in Oxford, Case spent 10 seasons on Kermit Davis’ staff at Middle Tennessee, helping the Blue Raiders capture seven conference titles and make three NCAA Tournament appearances. Middle Tennessee won 232 games during Case’s decade in Murfreesboro, including six seasons with at least 24 victories.

Case was highly successful at each of his previous collegiate stops with a proven track record as both an assistant and head coach, having been part of national championship teams in each capacity. His career win-loss record as a head coach is an astounding 392-169. In 2012, Case was one of 15 coaches named to the NAIA 75th Anniversary Team, joining the likes of John Wooden and other legendary coaches.

The highly successful coach was the head men’s basketball coach at Redlands College for one season, following a two-year stint at Eastern Oklahoma State College, where he served as head men’s basketball coach and athletics director. Case was head coach at Oklahoma City University for 13 years, posting a 343-127 record and winning the NAIA National Championship in 1994 and again in 1996. Before being head coach at Oklahoma City, Case served as an assistant there for two years and was part of two NAIA national championships (1991, 1992). The 1992 squad was 38-0.

Case began his coaching career as an assistant at Oklahoma Baptist in 1987. He spent two seasons as an assistant at Eastern Oklahoma before joining the staff at Oklahoma City University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1986.

Case played two seasons at Seminole Junior College and led the team to a runner-up finish in the NJCAA national championship game. Following two years of junior college, Case played two years at Oklahoma State, where he averaged 10.7 points as a senior. Case and current Kansas head coach Bill Self were teammates at Oklahoma State, and his son, Jeremy, was a member of Kansas’ national championship team in 2008 and is currently the video coordinator for the Jayhawks.

WHAT JAY LADNER HAS TO SAY

“Win Case is nationally regarded as one of the best recruiters in Division I. He was on staff with Kermit Davis and helped engineer some of those really good teams they had at Middle Tennessee – he then of course followed him to Ole Miss. Win stayed on staff at Ole Miss when Chris Beard took over and that doesn't happen often when a coach keeps someone from the previous staff. To me, that speaks a lot about someone as a person and as a coach. Win and I have known each other for a long time and he's already had a huge impact here in terms of recruiting. I couldn't be more excited for him to join our staff.” – Ladner on Win Case

LUKE ADAMS

Assistant Coach

Southern Miss head men's basketball coach announced the hiring of assistant coach Luke Adams on June 6, 2025.

Adams joins the Southern Miss staff as an assistant coach after spending two seasons at Tarleton State. Adams joined Billy Gillispie's staff in the summer of 2023 and focused his day-to-day activities in recruiting for the Texans.

“I am very grateful for Coach Ladner and Southern Miss for the opportunity to join this renowned program," Adams said. “Coach Ladner has a long track record of success at the Division I, Junior College and High School levels. I'm excited about the guys we have and I think we have a good chance to compete for the league championship this season.”

In his first season on the Texan bench, he was a part of a staff that broke multiple records in Tarleton State's Division I era.The Texans set a new record with 25 overall wins, the 20th 20-win season in program history. Tarleton registered 16 wins in WAC play, the highest in any conference in program history. During the regular season, the squad knocked off eventual WAC Champion, Grand Canyon, 77-74, in front of a sold out Wisdom Gym crowd. Tarleton State was one 17 NCAA Division I teams this season to register 10 road wins this season and was the only reclassifying team to accomplish the feat. Tarleton climbed up to as high as 129 in the NET rankings, their highest as a Division I program. the Texans also orchestrated a perfect 8-0 month of February, one of five schools to do so in 2024.

In the Texans second postseason eligible season, the unit earned its highest WAC Tournament seed finishing second in the WAC with a 16-4 record. Tarleton reached the WAC Semifinals for the first time in program history. The Texans ran off a pair of win streaks that were the longest in its D1 era, with a six game streak early in the season, and a 10-game streak during WAC play.After the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Texans accepted a bid to host their first postseason tournament in Wisdom Gym in its Division I era, the College Insider.com Postseason Tournament presented by BSN SPORTS. The Texans knocked off Texas Southern in the opening round before defeating Abilene Christian for the third time this season to earn the Lou Henson Classic Championship. Tarleton reached the semifinals of the CIT presented by BSN SPORTS, its longest postseason run in its Division I era.

Individually, the Texans earned their most postseason honors since joining the WAC. Jakorie Smith became the first Texan to earn First Team All-WAC. KiAndre Gaddy was the fourth different selection as WAC Defensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2016. Gaddy also was named a top 25 finalist for the Lefty Driessel Award, the nation's top defensive player. He joined freshman Emmanuel Innocenti on the All-Defensive Team. Tarleton was the only school to earn two players on the five-man team this season. Innocenti also earned a nod to the WAC All-Freshman Team.

Tarleton established themselves as one of the top teams statistically in the WAC as well. At the end of the regular season, Tarleton was in the top 3 in nine statistical categories, including topping the league in four. Tarleton led the WAC in fewest turnovers per game (13.1), turnover margin (+ 3.0), steals per game (9.0) and free throw percentage (75.2%). The Purple and White were second in field goal percentage (45.3%) and Assist to Turnover ratio (1.14). Finally, the Texans were third in the WAC in assists per game (13.2), scoring margin (+ 5.1), and opponent turnovers per game (14.5). Nationally, the Texans were in the top 40 in three different categories. Tarleton had the 18th most steals per game, 26th highest turnover margin, and 36th most turnovers forced per game.

Adams has spent four years as a head coach of a junior college as well as two seasons as an assistant coach. During his coaching career, Adams has mentored two All-Americans, 14 all-conference selections and has helped 41 players reach the Division I level.

Adams was also the Director of Player Development at Texas Tech under his father, head coach Mark Adams. Adams spent the 2022-23 season in Lubbock.

Before the Red Raiders, Adams was the head coach at New Mexico Junior College for four seasons. Adams led the Thunderbirds to a 63-21 overall record and 32-16 mark in conference play in three competing seasons during his four-year tenure. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to Covid-19. In each of the three seasons, NMJC reached the Region V seminals and at least a third place finish in the conference. Adams brought the Thunderbirds back to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2014-15 in his first season with the program.

Adams spent the 2017-18 season as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas. He spent one season as an assistant coach under Jason Sautter. He helped push the team from a last place (14th place) conference finish in the season prior to his arrival to an eight place finish in his first year. The Saints reached their first Region VI Quarterfinal since 2015.

He began his collegiate coaching journey as an assistant coach for Steve Green at South Plains College. South Plains earned third place in the National Tournament following a 29-0 regular season campaign. During his two seasons at South Plains, the squad was 53-11.

Adams enjoyed a four-year playing career at Texas Tech under Tubby Smith and coach Gillispie. He played in 64 games with seven starts in his career. During his freshman campaign under Gillispie, Adams scored a career-high 15 points against Kansas State. During the summer before his junior season, Adams starred for the USA Deaf National Team in Bulgaria. He started in seven games averaging 10 points, 3.9 steals, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. The squad earned a bronze medal.

Adams' dad, Mark Adams, is currently an assistant coach at Ole Miss and was previously the head coach at Texas Tech. Adams graduated from Texas Tech in 2014 earning his undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science and also in 2015 when he earned his master's degree in Sports Management.

WHAT JAY LADNER HAS TO SAY

“Luke Adams, of course, has an incredible basketball pedigree. He played at Texas Tech for Chris Beard, and his dad, Mark, in now one of Beard's top assistants at Ole Miss. He's a defensive specialist and his dad's regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the country. He's an encyclopedia of players and I'm so excited we were able to bring in someone like that. He's been working incredibly hard on the recruiting trail and we're happy he made it to Hattiesburg.” – Ladner on Luke Adams

NOAH CROAK

Assistant Coach

Southern Miss head men's basketball coach Jay Ladner announced the hiring of assistant coach Noah Croak on June 6, 2025.

Croak will join the Golden Eagle staff as an Assistant Coach for the 2025-26 season. Croak spent the previous two years at Fulton City High School in Kentucky where he served as the Athletic Director and head boy's basketball coach.

“I’m very grateful to Southern Miss and Coach Ladner for the opportunity to join the men’s basketball staff," Croak said. "Hattiesburg and Southern Miss are special places and have welcomed my family and I with open arms. We are prepared to help the men’s basketball team climb back to the top of the Sun Belt Conference. I know fans will be ecstatic with our team this year and the effort put forth into our whole program.”

In those two years in Kentucky, Croak helped double the programs win total from each of the previous seasons and finished 22nd in three-point percentage in the state during the 2024-25 season. Fulton City also ranked top 50 in offensive rebounding and saw major improvements in its shooting game with Croak's development skills.

Before his time in Fulton, Croak spent the 2022-23 season at Tarleton State as an assistant coach. The Texans went 17-17 during Croak's lone season in Stephenville. Croak helped the Texans to a CBI appearance during that season and picked up wins in the regular season over Boston College, Belmont and second-seeded Utah Valley.

Croak made the move north to Stephenville following a year-long stint as an assistant coach at Prairie View A&M. He previously served as an associate head coach and recruiting coordinator under fellow Texan assistant coach Zach Settembre at Tallahassee Community College (TCC) from 2019-2021. Croak also made assistant coaching stops at Dodge City Community College and Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Croak went to Tarleton as the youngest active Division I men’s basketball assistant coach. While at Prairie View, Croak leant his efforts to all areas of team operations on one of the most successful programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Croak also coached senior guard Jawaun Daniels to All-SWAC first team honors. Daniels ranked fifth in the conference in scoring (15.1 ppg) and seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg), leading the Panthers in both categories.

Croak was invaluable in helping TCC enjoy a historic two-year run alongside Settembre. The Eagles accumulated a 46-9 overall record and won back-to-back Panhandle Conference Championships in 2020 and 2021 with Croak serving as associate head coach. His recruiting prowess was on full display throughout his time in Tallahassee. Croak signed and developed 16 players who went on to sign National Letters of Intent with D1 programs.

During the 2019-20 season, a school record nine players put the pen to paper with D1 schools and all 15 players on the roster accepted scholarships with four-year programs. Croak helped coach El Ellis, who signed with Louisville in 2021, to consecutive Panhandle Conference Player of the Year accolades and mentored Tariq Silver (Oregon State) and Jeremiah Kendall (Prairie View) to conference Newcomer of the Year honors. In total, Croak coached 11 all-conference players while at TCC. With Croak on staff, TCC was one of the most efficient teams at both ends of the court in the D1 junior college ranks.

The Eagles ranked in the top-10 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings in both seasons. In 2019-20, TCC shot 40.2 percent from deep to the tune of 362 made 3-point field goals, setting school records in both categories. The Eagles finished with a 27-6 overall record and 9-3 mark in conference play in 2019-20 en route to the outright Panhandle Conference Championship – their first since 2001. The team’s march toward the conference crown was foreshadowed by a 16-2 record in nonconference action that featured victories over traditional Texas junior college powers Odessa College and Trinity Valley CC.

TCC then advanced to the championship game in the NJCAA Region VIII/FCSAA State Tournament and secured an at-large bid to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time in school history. Croak helped ensure TCC did not miss a beat during the 2020-21 campaign despite challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Eagles finished 19-3 overall and posted a 9-3 conference record to earn a share of the Panhandle Conference Championship. The consecutive conference championships were the first in program history since 1996 and 1997. The 13 conference victories signified a school record.

The Eagles also excelled in the classroom with Croak on staff. TCC owned the distinction of being the only team to rank in the top-10 of the NJCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Rankings and in team GPA. Before moving to the Sunshine State, Croak served as the associate head coach at Dodge City CC in 2018-19. There, he coached three All-Region players, two Academic All-Americans and ensured all players on the roster graduated with their associate degrees and moved on to four-year institutions. Croak first began his ascension to the D1 ranks during a two-year run at Kentucky Wesleyan College alongside Hall of Fame head coach Happy Osborne.

He helped the NCAA Division II Panthers notch a combined 71-23 overall record and consecutive conference championships and maintain a spot in the top-10 of the D2 Men’s Basketball Rankings in both seasons. Fifteen of the players Croak coached signed professional contracts. He has also spent time on the AAU circuit, coaching the 17U Boys with Distinxion squad, which is run by the family of NBA players Tyler, Cody and Luke Zeller.

Croak is a 2016 graduate of Indiana University.

WHAT JAY LADNER HAS TO SAY

“Noah Croak, kind of along the lines of the Luke, is a young and energetic coach. He's kind of a fire eater and just can't stop working. He's into it 24 hours a day and doesn't skip a second. He's incredibly connected in the basketball world and was on staff with Billy Gillespie at Tarleton State. He also spent time at Tallahassee Community College and picked up a lot of knowledge there. He's a super person, heck of a recruiter and a really good basketball coach. It's evident what he's already brought to the program and I couldn't be more excited to have him on staff.” – Ladner on Noah Croak

GARLAND WILSON

Director of Operations

Garland Wilson was named the Director of Basketball Operations for Jay Ladner's inaugural Golden Eagle staff in May 2019.

As the Director of Operations, Wilson is in charge of organization and administration of the basketball program.

Wilson served the last three seasons as the director of basketball operations at Southeastern, where he supervised team travel, player personnel, basketball camps and other facets of the program.

"Garland Wilson is a coach with a lot of experience in operations," Ladner said. "He's my right-hand man and keeps me organized. I was honored to work with him at Southeastern Louisiana. Having someone with his experience not just from operations but from working with me personally shortens our learning curve here."

Wilson previously served as director basketball operations at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. from 2012-16. He was also a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville State from January to May 2012 and the program’s head equipment manager from 2004-09.

"I'm excited to be here," Wilson said. "I've worked with Coach Ladner in the past, and he had enough confidence to bring me here with him. It's great to be at a higher level and continue to learn more things and help our program anyway I can."

He received a Master's in Sport Management from Southern Miss in June of 2020. Wilson received a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in business marketing from Jacksonville State in 2009.

The Detroit, Michigan native has one son, Caileb.