Mississippi State Hires Virginia's Brian O'Connor As New Head Baseball Coach

(Mississippi State Athletics photo)

Mississippi State has officially hired Head Coach Brian O’Connor after he enjoyed 22 successful years at the helm at Virginia.  The move comes after Mississippi State parted ways with Chris Lemonis April 28.  Since the dismissal of Lemonis, the Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-2, earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and finished runner up in the Tallahassee Regional to Florida State.  O’Connor fell short of the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in his 22 year tenure in Charlottesville.  

The Council Bluffs, Iowa native and Creighton graduate began his coaching career as the pitching coach at his alma mater before working as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Notre Dame under Paul Mainieri.  After spending nine seasons in South Bend, O’Connor took the helm at Virginia.

In his time as Head Coach, O’Connor has compiled 885 wins, reaching the College World Series in Omaha on seven occasions.  O’Connor has led the Hoos to five 50-win seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament in 14 straight seasons from 2004-2017.  O’Connor and Virginia won the National Championship in 2015, the first in program history.

The University also released the following information Sunday night:

A Proven Winner and Hall of Fame Leader Headed To Starkville As 19th Head Coach

By: Brandon Langlois, Senior Associate Athletics Director

STARKVILLE – One of college baseball's most tradition-rich programs is turning to one of the sport's most decorated leaders to guide its next chapter.

Brian O'Connor, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee and the all-time winningest coach at Virginia, has been named the 19th head baseball coach in Mississippi State history. A proven winner with 917 career victories, seven College World Series appearances and a national title, O'Connor brings a championship résumé and national credibility to Starkville.

Mississippi State will formally introduce Coach O'Connor at a public welcome event set for 7 p.m. CT on Thursday at Dudy Noble Field. Fans, supporters and media are invited to attend as the Diamond Dawgs officially usher in a new era. Additional details will be announced in the coming days.

O'CONNOR AT A GLANCE

• Career record: 917-388-2 (.702)

• 2015 College World Series champion

• Seven College World Series appearances

• 18 NCAA Tournament appearances

• Nine Super Regional appearances 

• Five-time ACC Coach of the Year

• Three-time National Coach of the Year

• 102 MLB Draft picks coached

• 31 MLB players developed

QUOTABLE: ATHLETICS DIRECTOR ZAC SELMON

"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. 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."

QUOTABLE: HEAD BASEBALL COACH BRIAN O'CONNOR

"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. 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."

QUOTABLE: PRESIDENT DR. MARK E. KEENUM

"At Mississippi State, we have a long tradition of success in baseball. 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."

A CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE

O'Connor took over the Virginia program in 2004 and quickly elevated it into a national power. In 22 seasons, he led the Cavaliers to:

• 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

O'Connor's seven College World Series appearances are also the third most among active NCAA head coaches. Virginia had made just three NCAA appearances before his arrival. He also became the second-fastest coach in ACC history to reach 500 career wins.

TRACK RECORD OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

O'Connor has built a steady pipeline of professional talent while developing high-character players prepared to succeed beyond college baseball.

•    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

Since 2004 under O'Connor, 97 Virginia players earned All-ACC honors, which is the second most among ACC programs during that span. Cavaliers also received 42 All-America honors and 25 Freshman All-America selections. O'Connor also developed three ACC Players of the Year. 

SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE

• Second among active Division I coaches in career winning percentage (.702)

• Earned his 900th win on March 29, 2024

• One of eight active Division I coaches with a national championship

• Named ACC Coach of the Decade for 2010 to 2019 by D1Baseball

• Inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024

• One of 20 individuals to both play in and coach at the College World Series

Virginia teams under O'Connor also excelled in the classroom and were regularly honored by the NCAA for academic progress and graduation success.

BY THE NUMBERS: HITTING, PITCHING & FIELDING UNDER O'CONNOR

Hitting Excellence

• Virginia ranked top five nationally in batting average three times since 2022, including No. 3 nationally in 2024 (.333) and co-leading the nation in 2023 (.332)

• UVA finished top five in the country in slugging (.567), runs (581), and hits (752) in 2024, while also setting a program record with 116 home runs

• Led the nation in doubles (172) and hits (766) in 2023

• UVA has posted 700+ hits in a season five times, including back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024

Elite Pitching Development

• UVA has ranked top 20 nationally in ERA 12 times under O'Connor, including six top-three finishes

• The 2011 staff led the nation in ERA (2.24); the 2014 team finished No. 2 nationally (2.23)

• From 2021 to 2023, Virginia pitching staffs consistently ranked among the top in the nation: Fourth in ERA (3.81) in 2023; 14th in ERA (3.99) in 2022; 14th in ERA and 4th in strikeouts (687) in 2021

• Multiple Cavalier pitchers have gone on to MLB All-Star status, including Sean Doolittle and Danny Hultzen

• Team USA's pitching staff posted a 2.06 ERA under O'Connor's direction in 2018 international competition

Defensive Fundamentals

• O'Connor-built teams are known for their consistency, defensive reliability and precision on the fundamentals

• Entering the 2025 season, UVA owned the best cumulative fielding percentage in the ACC since 2004 (.973)

• The 2014 team set a school record with a .981 fielding percentage (fourth nationally)

• 10 of O'Connor's teams have ranked among the top 40 nationally in fielding percentage

A NEW ERA IN STARKVILLE

O'Connor takes over a Mississippi State program with a proud history, a championship standard and the most passionate fan base in college baseball. The Bulldogs have made 12 College World Series appearances and captured the program's first national championship in 2021.

Mississippi State is one of only four programs in NCAA history to reach the College World Series in six consecutive decades. With 40 NCAA Tournament appearances, 12 trips to Omaha, 11 SEC regular-season titles and a national title, the Bulldogs have long stood among the nation's premier programs.

*****