Chris Capko welcomed as Ball State’s new men’s basketball coach MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — The Cardinals have a new captain on the court. Chris Capko was officially welcomed as the newest head coach of Ball State’s men’s basketball team Tuesday. He and his family were met with a standing ovation as he was introduced by Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell to a room full of alumni, staff and the media. Capko comes to Muncie after spending the last 10 years on the coaching staff with head coach Andy Enfield at both USC and SMU. Most recently, he was the Mustangs’ associate head coach, helping them get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The Mustangs ultimately lost in a First Four battle with Miami of Ohio. As one of the nation’s top assistant coaches in college basketball, Capko said he was comfortable with his position on Enfield’s staff but was open to a head coaching job if the right opportunity presented itself. Ball State became that right opportunity. “I had a great quality of life at with Coach Enfield. I was happy at SMU,” Capko told News 8. “I did aspire to be a head coach but felt like if I was ever going to do it, I needed to go to a place where there was real alignment, and there was going to be someone who was really invested in me. Jeff (Mitchell) showed that every step of the way. I could tell I was his guy, and at the end of the day, I really felt a deep sense of confidence that he was going to do whatever he could to make me as successful as I can be.” The Cardinals haven’t had a 20-win season in three years. They finished this last season with a 12-19 record. Capko is looking to bring winning back to Muncie as he focuses on the Cardinals playing a new brand of basketball. “We’re going to be a blue collar team,” Capko said. “Hopefully you see a new version of just the way basketball is played now… Offensive rating has exploded in college basketball. I think the best teams in the country have to be able to score. I think they have to be able to shoot. So, I think you’re going to see a lot of shooting, a lot of skill decision-making, but a group that is tough and connected and willing to do some of the gritty things, as well.” Capko intends to recruit heavily in the state of Indiana. He says the success he found at SMU and USC came from finding the best high school talent locally, and he wants to continue that strategy in the Basketball State. “Ball State will resonate the most with kids from the state of Indiana, and there’s so much talent here that I do think we have to make a concerted effort to get out here, evaluate, build relationships,” Capko said. “We might not get them the first time. They may come back the second or even the third time with the way it works now, but those are going to be the type of kids who Ball State resonates with. They’ll have more invested interest in coming here and have more of a chip on their shoulder in terms of elevating this program to where it needs to get to.” Over the course of his career at SMU, USC and FIU, Capko has helped develop 11 NBA players. Chris Capko focused on recruiting in Indiana ...read more read less