Mississippi State women’s basketball is promoting assistant Gabe Lazo to associate head coach, the program announced Friday.
Lazo, who was hired in 2022 as part of coach Sam Purcell’s first staff, is entering his third season with the Bulldogs. He helped lead MSU to a second-round appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament before reaching the quarterfinals of the WBIT this year.
“Lazo has deservedly earned the reputation as one of the top assistants in the nation and is an invaluable piece of our program,” Purcell said in a school release. “His work ethic is unmatched, and he possesses an elite talent as a relentless recruiter, motivator, mentor and player developer. From his ability to identify talent and build relationships to his expertise in teaching our defensive system, his contributions are second to none. He is undoubtedly a future leader of a program.”
The promotion comes amid changes to the team’s staff for the first time in Purcell’s tenure.
Assistant Murriel Page and the program have parted ways, as reported by the Clarion Ledger last week. Former Eastern Michigan coach Fred Castro is expected to replace Page. The Bulldogs also saw assistant Corry Irvin get hired as the coach of Chicago State.
Lazo has been an important piece for Purcell, highlighted by his scouting assignment that helped the No. 11-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 6 seed Creighton in the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament. Lazo also played a significant role in the recruitment of former Seton Hall transfer Lauren Park-Lane who broke MSU’s single-season assists record in the 2023-24 campaign.
VAN LITH: Former LSU star Hailey Van Lith visiting Mississippi State women’s basketball
“I’m incredibly thankful and humble for the opportunity to advance my career at Mississippi State,” Lazo said. “I appreciate the trust that our student-athletes, administration and Coach Purcell has placed in me. We have achieved a lot of these last two seasons, and there is a clear vision for this program that I can’t wait to help accomplish. I promise that we will continue to work tirelessly to build on the rich tradition of this program and I couldn’t be more excited about the future here.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State women’s basketball promotes assistant Gabe Lazo
