Louisville's Mike Balado ready to coach Arkansas State

By AP
Published

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) Louisville assistant coach Mike Balado is set to become Arkansas State's basketball coach.

The school has scheduled a campus news conference Monday to introduce him.

Balado succeeds Grant McCasland, who resigned to coach North Texas. McCasland finished with a 20-12 record in his only season at Arkansas State.

Balado has spent the past four seasons at Louisville, whose season ended Sunday with a 73-69 loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. Balado said after the game he completed his deal with Arkansas State on Sunday morning ''right when we were getting ready to leave to go to shootaround.''

Balado was sitting in the locker room with his head down and his eyes red as he dealt with the prospect of leaving Louisville. But he's also looking forward to the new opportunity.

''I'm excited to see the guys up at Arkansas State,'' Balado said. ''I've heard great things and have spoken to a couple of them on the phone. I'm fired up to get up there and meet them face to face.''

Balado and Arkansas State athletic director Terry Mohajir worked together at Florida Atlantic. Balado was an assistant at Florida Atlantic from 2005-08.