Ball State head men’s basketball coach Michael Lewis has completed his staff. Lou Gudino, Jamal Meeks, Ben Botts and Bill Comar will be joining Lewis for his first year in Muncie.
Gudino will serve as the associate head coach, while Meeks and Botts will be assistant coaches. Comar will be the special assistant to the head coach.
The newly formed staff with ties to the state has a total of 76 years of experience with 33 postseason appearances and numerous conference championships, either as a coach or as a player.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the staff that we’ve been able to assemble here at Ball State,” Lewis said. “I think it’s a very well-rounded staff with outstanding experience from winning programs. Each one of these individuals provide different traits that lead to success and are men of high character that our players can look to for direction and guidance. I wanted to put together a staff that is about the players, winning with no ego, and guys with experience in high-caliber programs. I feel like I was able to do that with these four guys, and I can’t wait to get started. When putting this staff together, Mick Cronin gave me the advice to hire guys that you believe could be head coaches. I think we’ve be able to accomplish that with these hires.”
Gudino is a 24-year coaching veteran with stops at New Mexico State, Indiana State, Louisiana Tech, and most recently, Wichita State. He spent the last four seasons at Wichita State, and last season served as the associate head coach. While with the Shockers, Gudino helped coach six all-conference selections, including the Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth-Man of the Year and Co-Player of the Year.
Gudino helped Wichita State reach the NIT semifinals in his first season in 2018-19. During the 2019-20 season, he aided in one of the best starts the Shockers have seen with a 15-1 mark, which saw the squad ranked in national polls for six weeks. In 2020-21, he helped guide the Shockers to an NCAA Tournament berth.
In his lone season with New Mexico State, the Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference Championship, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. While at Indiana State (2007-17), the Sycamores made five consecutive postseason trips, highlighted by a 2011 NCAA Tournament appearance and back-to-back NIT bids in 2013 and 2014.
Gudino spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech (2005-07) as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The Bulldogs posted a 20-13 record his first season and went 11-5 in WAC play on their way to an NIT bid.
Gudino, a graduate of South Vermillion High School in Clinton, Ind., is no stranger to Indiana basketball. Gudino earned his bachelor’s degree in financial management from Indiana in 1997 and received his master’s in sports management from Incarnate Word in 2003.
Head Coach Michael Lewis on Lou Gudino
“Lou Gudino is a veteran and has been at several different schools that have won at a high level. I think he’s very well-rounded. He connects well with players and is a great recruiter. I’m really excited to have him here in Muncie.”
Meeks joins Ball State after spending the last seven seasons at Monmouth. While with the Hawks, Meeks played an integral part of the program, assisting in recruiting, scouting and everyday operation of the program. Three Hawks, Diago Quinn, Deion Hammond and Ray Salnave earned all-conference honors under Meeks’ guidance. In Meeks’ total time on staff, the Hawks amassed 98 total victories.
Meeks, who played in 129 career games, earning 44 starts over four seasons at Indiana and competed in the 1992 NCAA Final Four. He started his coaching career in 1997 as an assistant at Bowling Green under Dan Dakich before moving on to Butler as part of Thad Matta’s staff. At both stops, Meeks served as the Director of Recruitment, while his coaching responsibilities included working with post players, game preparation and academics.
A team co-captain for the Hoosiers, Meeks graduated from Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice. While playing for the Hoosiers, he scored 1,741 points for his career and shot .485 percent from the field and .437 from 3-point range.
Head Coach Michael Lewis on Jamal Meeks
“Obviously, there’s an IU connection there. I’ve followed him as I became a coach. He has a great personality and brings a lot of energy. He understands the game and comes from a program at Monmouth, where he, along with King Rice, have developed a perennial power in the MAAC. It’s great to bring him back closer to home.”
Muncie native Ben Botts continues on the Ball State staff after spending four seasons with the Cardinals as an assistant coach where he has served as recruiting coordinator and oversaw offensive game-planning.
In his first year in Muncie, he helped the Cardinals secure a 2019 signing class rated as the best in the MAC by 247Sports, headlined by Indiana Mr. Basketball finalist Luke Bumbalough. He also has worked directly with the BSU backcourt players. In his two years with the Cardinals, he has mentored a pair of All-MAC guards and a MAC Freshman of the Year.
Before his arrival at Ball State, Botts helped guide Purdue Fort Wayne to four-consecutive postseason appearances, including the school’s first-ever NIT berth in 2016 and three trips to the CIT. The Mastodons also notched a pair of memorable victories over Indiana in his final two seasons, including one when the Hoosiers were ranked third in the country.
Botts was the director of basketball operations at Princeton in 2013-14, helping the Tigers to a 21-9 record. He spent the two seasons before that as a graduate assistant at Xavier and was part of the Musketeers’ 2012 Sweet 16 run.
A standout guard during his playing days in Purdue Fort Wayne, Botts was named to the All-Summit League Second Team in 2011. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a two-time recipient of the NCAA Division I-AAA Athletic Director’s Association Scholar Athlete award. Botts finished his career fourth on the Mastodons’ career scoring list with 1,400 points.
Botts graduated from Muncie Central High School in 2007 after a stellar career that included back-to-back appearances in the Class 4A state championship game.
Head Coach Michael Lewis on Ben Botts
“Ben Botts has been here. I’ve known Ben since he was in high school, and I tried to recruit him. He comes from a wonderful family and Muncie is his home. The one thing that stood out to me was what the players in the program had to say about him and his interactions to help these young men grow and develop.”
Comar spent last season as the director of operations after joining the Ball State staff in September 2021 and returns as the special assistant to the head coach.
He has been a part of programs that have made 16 postseason appearances, earning 12 NCAA Tournament berths. Prior to Ball State, Comar served on the staffs at Loyola, Dayton, Xavier and Indiana.
Head Coach Michael Lewis on Bill Comar
“I think Bill Comar is one of the best at what he does. I’m very excited that he’s decided to stay and be a part of what we are trying to do. He’s going to have his hands in every facet of our program. He’ll help me with the day-to-day operation of the program, as well as be the liaison to academics, travel, and the athletic department.”
