The Mustangs were bounced from the NCAA Tournament by Miami (OH) in the First Four. Now Andy Endfield's top assistant could be moving on to his first head coaching position.
DALLAS - SMU's head men's basketball coach Andy Enfield and longtime associate head caoch Chris Capko brought the Mustangs back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Now, after a First Four exit by way of the upstart Miami (OH) Redhawks, there could be a shakeup in the coaching staff this offseason.
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein reports that Capko is being targeted by Ball State for its head coach vacancy.
Prior to their time on The Hilltop, Capko was an associate head coach on Enfield's side at USC. The pair made the move to Dallas ahead of the 2024-25 season and have been instrumental in the Mustangs' turnaround ever since.
As the tournament continues, the rest of the country is diving head first into transfer portal recruiting, making this news potentially devastating for roster retention and future continuity.
"Capko’s been linked to multiple jobs as the season wound down and now he’s expected to land his first head coaching opportunity," On3 reports. "In December of 2023, Capko was cited by The Athletic as one of 21 assistant coaches to watch in all of college basketball."
The Mustangs finished the season 20-14 after falling to the Redhawks 89-79 on Wednesday. Star players Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr., Jaden Toombs, and B.J. Edwards emerged as difference makers for the Ponies under Enfield and Capko's tutilege.
SMU reached 20 wins in both seasons with Enfield and Capko leading the coaching staff.
The 2025-26 season ended in unfortunate fashion as the Mustangs ended the season 1-6 without Edwards in the lineup after sustaining an injury. The do-everything guard was allegedly in line to return for the postseason matchup against Miami (OH), but was eventually deemed a late scratch.
That decision led to a controversial accusation of Enfield "unethically misleading" the NCAA selection committee, with the news of Edwards return potentially impacting the Mustangs' occupying the very last spot into the NCAA Tournament shortly thereafter.
Capko also had previous stints at Marshall, Stetson, Georgia Southern, and Florida International before joining Enfield and the Trojans in Los Angeles.
The Ball State finished this season 12-19 and 7-11 in Mid-Atlantic Conference play. Former head coach Michael Lewis' firing after four years in Muncie, Indiana was announced on March 7.
