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O’Connor Wanted the Challenge of Coaching Baseball in SEC, and He’ll Get One at Mississippi State
Brian O'Connor's $2.9 million contract makes him the second highest-paid college baseball coach as he leads Mississippi State Bulldogs into a challenging SEC season.
- In two weeks he'll begin his first season in the Southeastern Conference after Mississippi State hired Brian O'Connor, who accepted a four-year contract averaging 2.9 million this year.
- Following Chris Lemonis' April 28, 2026, firing, Mississippi State struggled early last season before Justin Parker led the team to nine of their last 11 games, securing an NCAA bid amid fan fervor.
- O'Connor brings an extensive record with 917 wins, seven College World Series trips, and five Virginia transfers including Tomas Valincius, Kevin Milewski, and Drew Wyers.
- Awaiting O'Connor are 10 straight SEC weekend series this year in a conference with six straight national champions, while many Mississippi State Bulldogs players lack experience managing a 30-game SEC schedule.
- Having turned Virginia Cavaliers into a national contender, Brian O'Connor reshaped the program with a 2015 College World Series title and declined elite jobs before signing a 2024 extension.
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12 Articles
12 Articles
Washington Top NewsReposted by 
The Toronto Star
The Toronto StarO’Connor wanted the challenge of coaching baseball in SEC, and he’ll get one at Mississippi State
Brian O'Connor landed his first head coaching job at Virginia in 2004 and quickly turned a baseball program that had finished higher than fourth in the ACC just…
·Washington, United States
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Associated Press News+8 Reposted by 8 other sources
O'Connor wanted the challenge of coaching baseball in SEC, and he'll get one at Mississippi State
Brian O'Connor's move from Virginia to Mississippi State is one of the most high-profile coaching changes in college baseball this season.
·United States
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T&L Extra: ESPN's Kyle Peterson On Why Brian O'Connor is Among The Best in College Baseball
Few know the sport of college baseball better than ESPN’s Kyle Peterson, so getting his insight as we inch closer to Opening Day was a must. Brian Hadad welcomes Peterson to the pod for a great conversation about the sport and about Mississippi State’s upcoming season under Coach Brian O’Connor.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 40%
C 50%
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