Brian O'Conner has my vote

[statemba]

as the next baseball HC at MSU. I really like what this guy is doing at UVA and I feel like we really need a HC that has some experience and expertise in the area of pitching. Our staff has been terrible the last few years and we have way too many injuries to our staff. We need a young coach like O'Conner who knows pitching and can recruit.

I think my other top choices would be

John Cohen
Gary Gilmore--Coastal Carolina
Dan McDonnell--Louisville

I am not really that upbeat about Pat Casey. I think he is a good coach but I would rather have a younger coach who will recruit and who isnt "tired" etc. That reminds me too much of Polk.

 

[Keyser Soze.sixpack]

I have been big on hiring Cohen, but it's hard to argue against O'Conner. Honestly I really knew nothing about him until this search started. He would be an excellant hire and is now my co #1 choice with Cohen.

 

[Goat Holder]

We all know Cohen's not tired. This is too mother 17-ing easy for MSU to screw up. Our best available candidate is sitting right there waiting on us, and we will screw it up.

 

[patdog]

He's hosted 3 regionals as the #1 seed and has yet to win one. Other than that, I don't know how his resume could be any more impressive.

 

[statemba]

guys if you ask me. If we make a strong push for either then I think we get at least one of them. The thing I like about O'Conner more than Cohen is his ability to work with pitchers and recruit the type of pitching we need at MSU. Our pitchers have not been well coached the last 5 years or so and it is time we hire somebody that knows pitching.

I also like the current staff at UVA that O'Conner has assembled. If you go read their profiles you will see he has some young recruiters on his staff and that is just what MSU needs.

Cohen is probably more of a hitters coach and will improve our offense more than what it is now which would help. I am not so sure he is much of a pitching coach though and would have to hire a really good one to teach our pitchers. Regardless, the new staff is probably going to be shocked at the lack of "teaching" our pitching staff got last year and will probably have to work really hard on some mechanics etc to get them where they can compete until the new staff can recruit the type of pitchers MSU needs.

 

[dawgphd]

Goat, I couldn't agree more. Never has the right man for the right job been so apparent. And we are going to MSU this up to biblical proportions.

 

[Shmuley]

trying to decide whether we're taking the Diablo or the Murcielago to the titty bar. Cohen or O'Connor. O'Connor or Cohen. Just pick one and let's MF'n GO.

 

[statemba]

He's hosted 3 regionals as the #1 seed and has yet to win one. Other than that, I don't know how his resume could be any more impressive.

I hear what you are saying patdog, but at this point and time I just wish we could host 3 regionals. We have hosted one regional since Polk came back and one super regional. What I like about O'Conner is that he is young and learning as he goes in a major conference (ACC). Not many 36 year old coaches have hosted 3 regionals already and have that much post season experience as a HC at the age of 36 in a major conference. I think O'Conner is a star in the making and should be at the top of our wish list. He will only get better with experience and he will already be prepared for the SEC by having spent 5 years in the ACC as a HC against the likes of Miami, NC, FSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech etc.
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[Goat Holder]

but they gambled on an outsider and have looked pretty good so far. So basically we can't lose, but we probably will.

 

[SanfordRJones]

I think the fact that he's only 37 and has already been to 5 regionals, hosting 3 of them, overrides his lack of success so far. It is a concern, but the fact that he's young, he's won the ACC tournament, and he gets to a regional every year leads me to believe that he is capable of doing damage in the post-season.

 

[Goat Holder]

never thought I'd say that about MSU baseball. O'Connor is a close second behind Cohen in my book. A host of guys come in too close to rank at 3rd. Smith, Anderson, Coastal Carolina's coach, etc.

 

[patdog]

Once he does break through and win one, he'll probably start winning more. And at MSU would be a good place for him to do it. To me O'Connor and Showalter are probably co-#1s on my list and Cohen and Casey are probably co-#2s.

 

[Jackdragbean]

Glad I'm not the only one that likes Buck.

 

[Mjoelner]

My list looks a helluva lot like Patdog's except that I'm a little stronger on Cohen than I am Casey at this point so I have Casey as 3rd instead of being in a tie at 2nd. O'Conner has jump up from not being in my top 5 a couple of weeks ago to tied for 1st now that I know more about him.

EDITED: to change "are" to "aren't" in the title. didn't affect the meaning much. nah.