Mississippi State baseball is ready to head into a new era, announcing the hiring of new head coach Brian O’Connor late Sunday evening. He steps into the void left after the firing of head coach Chris Lemonis during the season.
Mississippi State hailed the hiring of O’Connor as bringing “a proven winner and hall of fame leader” to Starkville. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024 and is the all-time winningest head coach at Virginia, compiling a 917-388-2 overall record across a 22-year stint leading the Cavs.
A new era begins.
Welcome to Starkville, Coach O’Connor.#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/Pm7JqSdrzb
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 2, 2025
Under his guidance, Virginia appeared in the College World Series 7 times, including 2 trips to the CWS Finals in 2014 and 2015. After a runner-up finish in 2014, the Cavs would win it all in 2015, taking down Vanderbilt in 3 games.
“Mississippi State represents everything I love about college baseball — tradition, passion and a relentless pursuit of excellence. 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,” said O’Connor in a statement. “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.”
MSU moved on from Lemonis during his 7th season with the program. After CWS appearances in 2019 and 2021, including winning it all in 2021, the Bulldogs have failed to get out of the regional round in 4 seasons since. Twice, the program missed the NCAA Tournament entirely.
“Brian O’Connor is one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in college baseball. He’s a national champion, a Hall of Famer, and a proven leader with a track record of building a championship-caliber program,” MSU AD Zac Selmon said in a statement. “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 résumé 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.”
These are some of O’Connor’s career accomplishments with Virginia:
- 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2004 to 2017
- Seven trips to the College World Series, including a national title in 2015 and runner-up finish in 2014
- 66 NCAA Tournament wins, tied for the fourth most in the nation from 2009 to 2024
- Seven College World Series appearances, the second most of any program nationally since 2009
- Two ACC regular-season championships
- Two ACC Tournament titles
- Five 50-win seasons and 13 seasons with at least 40 victories
- 102 MLB Draft selections (93 players), including 14 first-round selections
- 31 players reached the major leagues, including Ryan Zimmerman, Sean Doolittle and Chris Taylor
- At least one first-round pick in five consecutive drafts from 2014 to 2018
- Seven seasons with multiple top-two-round draft picks
- Notable major leaguers coached include Danny Hultzen, Pavin Smith, Adam Haseley, Jake McCarthy and Andrew Abbott
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