Louisville's Balado formally named Arkansas State head coach

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) Louisville assistant Mike Balado was formally introduced as the new head coach at Arkansas State on Monday, reuniting him with athletic director Terry Mohajir.

''I am extremely humbled and honored to be the head men's basketball coach at Arkansas State University,'' Balado said. ''I look forward to helping all these young men fulfill their dreams in the classroom, on the court and in life after basketball.''

Balado spent the past four seasons as an assistant at Louisville, whose season ended Sunday with a 73-69 loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. He succeeds Grant McCasland, who resigned to coach North Texas. McCasland finished with a 20-12 record in his only season at Arkansas State.

Balado said after Sunday's game that he completed his deal with Arkansas State on Sunday morning ''right when we were getting ready to leave to go to shootaround.''

Balado and Mohajir worked together at Florida Atlantic, where Balado was an assistant from 2005-08.

''It's a great tribute to our emerging brand that we can hire a lead assistant from an elite program,'' Mohajir said. ''Without a doubt, I think there is no one in the country more prepared to lead our program at this time than Mike Balado.

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