STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State’s men’s basketball program has hired Dillon Elder and Joe Rogers to the staff announced Thursday by head coach Chris Jans.

Elder joins the program as State’s Director of Scouting and Analytics, while Rogers steps into his position as MSU’s Coordinator of Operations.

Elder and Rogers carry SEC experience into their roles in Starkville. Previously, both had served as student managers and graduate assistants at Texas A&M and Georgia, respectively.

“Coach Dillon “Tex” Elder has earned high praise from successful people in our industry,” Jans said. “He already possesses a multi skill set that will help our program move forward. Coach Joe Rogers has already proven to be a valuable asset to our program. He is a tireless worker and a problem solver which are key ingredients in his role.”

Elder joins the Bulldogs staff fresh off a yearlong stint as Tarleton State’s Director of Operations in 2021-22. There, he oversaw scheduling, on campus recruiting and team travel, while also spearheading the program’s video operations and film.

Prior to his tenure in Stephenville, Elder worked with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves as a Remote Video Intern in 2020-21. He spent his undergraduate time as a student manager at Texas A&M from 2015-18 and was promoted to head manager in 2017-18.

Then, Elder advanced to a graduate assistant role with the Aggies from 2018-20. He studied game film at both the professional and collegiate level.

During his time in College Station, the Aggies won a share of the SEC regular season championship in 2015-16 and made two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Elder graduated from Texas A&M with a Master of Science degree in marketing alongside a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership with minors in sports management and business.

Rogers enters the State program having spent the past two years siting under Tom Crean at Georgia. He started as a student manager in 2017-19 before advancing to a graduate assistant from 2020-22.

At UGA, Rogers also became familiarized with the scouting and analytics process. He worked with the team’s coaches to break down film for prospect and opponent alike. 

Alongside his scouting work, Rogers was responsible for coordinating video libraries of material for players and coaches to view, allowing the rest of the program to keep track of both workouts and practice footage.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men’s basketball program.

Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rogers graduated from Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management and is pursuing his Master of Science degree in consumer economics.

Fans can purchase season tickets through Mississippi State’s Athletic Ticket Office starting as low as $155 at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 for the program’s much-anticipated first season under Chris Jans.

Mississippi State’s 2022-23 non-conference schedule also features a SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup with TCU, a consensus top 25 preseason pick, on Saturday, January 28 at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs also have a return trip slated at Minnesota on Sunday, December 11. State is joined by Georgia Tech, Marquette and Utah at the 2022 Fort Myers Tipoff from November 21-23.

The Maroon and White also has learned its 2022-23 SEC opponents. State will welcome 2022 NCAA postseason participants Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M in addition to Missouri, Ole Miss and South Carolina to Humphrey Coliseum.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men’s basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets by searching ‘HailStateMBK’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.