BREAKING: O’Connor leaves Virginia for Mississippi State

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Hall of Fame baseball coach Brian O’Connor, who built Virginia into a national baseball power, has been named head coach at Mississippi State University.

O’Connor will be introduced to the Bulldogs’ fan base on Thursday at 7 p.m. (Central) at Dudy Noble Field.

Despite last-minute, last-ditch efforts to keep O’Connor at UVA, relations had become too strained between the coach and the school’s athletic administration, according to sources close to the program. As of Sunday night, all of the UVA coaches had cleaned out their offices.

Associate head coach Kevin McMullen, assistant coach Matt Kirby and associate AD for baseball administration Justin Armistead will join O’Connor in Starkville. It is not expected that pitching coach Drew Dickinson will be included in the move.

Sources indicated that several donors and former players had rallied to raise big numbers to resolve issues that caused the veteran coach to look around for the first time since coming to Virginia from Notre Dame in 2004.

Some of those sticking points, according to sources, were UVA’s initial plan to fund only 20 full baseball scholarships rather than the newly allowed 34, along with O’Connor’s frustrations of Disharoon Park’s shortcoming with the stadium’s lighting system and the inability to play mid-week, nonconference road games more than two or three hours from home, something O’Connor had attempted to have changed for the past three years.

By the time money was raised, O’Connor had already decided to leave for Starkville, home to one of college baseball’s most passionate fan bases and a school willing to fork over funds necessary to compete on a national basis.

O’Connor, in a text message to his Virginia team, said: “I want to thank each of you for your dedication, tireless work and loyalty during our time together. You and the many players before you have made Virginia baseball what it is, as you have heard me say before _ it is the players that make the program what it is. I have chosen to accept this opportunity because I need a new challenge and am excited about this next chapter of my life.”

Meanwhile, O’Connor was quoted in a press release from Mississippi State on Sunday night.

“Mississippi State represents everything I love about college baseball — tradition, passion and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” O’Connor said. “I’ve coached against this program and followed it closely for years.

“The atmosphere at Dudy Noble Field is nationally recognized as the best in the sport. I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead a program with this kind of legacy and fan base. Mississippi State has set the standard in college baseball and I can’t wait to get to work, build relationships and compete for championships in Starkville.”

O’Connor is considered one of the top baseball coaches in America, having been named National Coach of the Year three times. In 22 seasons at Virginia, he guided the Cavaliers to 14 straight NCAA tournaments from 2004-2017, 18 overall trips to the NCAAs, seven College World Series appearances, including three of the last four years. UVA won the national title in 2015 and was runner-up in 2014.

O’Connor has had 102 Major League Draft selections (including 14 first-round selections), 31 players reach the Major Leagues, including Ryan Zimmerman, Sean Doolittle and Chris Taylor, along with Andrew Abbott.

O’Connor ranks second among active Division I coaches in career winning percentage (.702), claiming his 900th career win in late March of 2024, and is one of only eight active Division I coaches with a national title.

“Brian O’Connor is one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in college baseball,” said Zac Selmon, Mississippi State’s athletic director. “He’s a national champion, a Hall of Famer and a proven leader with a track record of building a championship-caliber program.

“Mississippi State is built to win at the highest level, and Coach O’Connor knows what that takes. From elite player development to consistent success on the national stage, his resume speaks for itself. He understands the standard here and embraces the opportunity to elevate it even further. This is a defining moment for Mississippi State Baseball and a powerful step forward for our program, our players and our fans.”

Virginia fans must be wondering if this is also a defining moment for the Cavaliers program, having to scramble at the last minute to try and salvage an emergency, just way too late.

O’Connor’s hiring was such a big deal in Starkville that Mississippi State’s president weighed in.

“At Mississippi State, we have a long tradition of success in baseball,” said president Dr. Mark E. Keenum. “The ‘M over S,’ the Maroon and White, and hosting postseason in Starkville is woven into the very fabric of who we are and what we expect of our baseball program. Brian O’Connor is an elite level coach that aligns perfectly with our elite level program. His past certainly speaks for itself, but his clear understanding of the evolution and future of college baseball is clear. We are in the pursuit of championships. I am thrilled for Coach O’Connor, our student-athletes and Bulldogs everywhere as this is a historic day for Mississippi State.

It’s also a historic day for Virginia, which let one of the nation’s best coaches walk out the door, resorting to last-minute tactics to make up for a completely botched situation.

So, where will UVA look for its next head coach? University of Washington coach Eddie Smith is a prime target. Smith has only been with the Huskies for one season and was once on O’Connor’s coaching staff at Virginia. Smith is considered one of college baseball’s most brilliant offensive minds. Smith has proven himself at various programs such as Utah Valley, Notre Dame, Tulane, LSU and Santa Clara.

Duke’s Chris Pollard has been mentioned in recent days. Pollard grew up in Amherst County and was a self-described huge fan of O’Connor and Virginia prior to taking over the program at Appalachian State. Mark Wisikowski of Oregon, Mitch Canham of Oregon State and Kentucky’s Nick Mingione could also be candidates.