COLUMN: Mississippi State and Brian O'Connor share vision of winning big in new era

Over a decade ago, a simple design for one of college baseball’s best ballparks was sketched on a napkin in a restaurant in Omaha, Neb.
Mississippi State was competing for a national championship at the College World Series, and the vision was clear — Bulldog fans deserved the best stadium in the country. That dream became a reality thanks to former coach John Cohen and then-Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, and the stadium ultimately opened its gates in 2019.

The goal was always to have the road to Omaha run through that ballpark — and in front of some of the best fans in college baseball. The fans have done their part, and those first two teams that played inside the new stadium followed suit. But since then, it has collected cobwebs in June for four straight seasons.

Director of Athletics Zac Selmon said “no more” this season. He fired head coach Chris Lemonis in the middle of the year after the worst SEC start in school history. It was a move that drew scrutiny from national media, but the Bulldogs were coming off back-to-back nine-win SEC seasons in 2022 and ’23 — and missed out on hosting in 2024.

Justin Parker, Jake Gautreau, and the Bulldog staff rallied the troops over the final three weeks and got State into the postseason. While that run was admirable, it still fell short of the program’s overall standard, as State ended the season with a 5–2 loss at Florida State on Sunday night.

About an hour after the final pitch, news broke that it was time for a new era.
One of the worst-kept secrets among Bulldog fans was made official when Virginia coach Brian O’Connor was named the new head man in Starkville. The announcement sent shockwaves through the college baseball world, as “Oak” had built an incredible résumé over his 22-year career with the Cavaliers — and had never left his post.

That fact alone makes this such a power move by Selmon and a Bulldog athletic department that had grown to be the butt of jokes around the conference and the country.

What this hire says more than anything is that Mississippi State is fed up with mediocrity. The “new” Dudy Noble Field — and its fans’ organic love for college baseball — is what has made early summers so special for decades. The great players, teams, and games that have come and gone have created lasting memories for every person who has ever watched the maroon and white. Instead of Selmon and his staff writing it off as a “non-revenue” sport, they’ve doubled down.

O’Connor’s name on the dotted line answered any lingering questions about where the administration stands. The coach had never wavered in his commitment to the Cavaliers, but the nature of college sports has changed drastically. Programs that invest in and support their teams will be the ones that thrive. O’Connor was ready for that.

In the coming days, more official news will be announced that reinforces State’s commitment to building a program that not only competes at the top but does so consistently. While Mississippi State has made it to Omaha in each of the last six decades, the rollercoaster ride this fanbase has endured has been dramatic.

This is the ninth man to serve as head coach for the Bulldogs since the 1990s — including two interim coaches who took over after mid-season firings. We’ve seen State go from the worst team in the SEC to SEC champions in back-to-back seasons. We’ve seen a historic run to within one win of the national championship series with an interim head coach, and we’ve also seen the school’s first national championship followed by a losing record.

It’s time for stability. It’s time for Mississippi State baseball to reclaim its rightful place among the top programs in college baseball. It’s time for an elite head coach to bring an elite fanbase what it deserves — and for the Bulldogs to act like a blue blood.

All of that work started when O’Connor stepped off the plane on Sunday night and planted his feet on Mississippi soil. The pomp and circumstance will follow on Thursday night inside Dudy Noble Field at 7 p.m., but the real business begins after that.

Celebrate this moment, State fans. Be proud of this win — and of the many more that are likely to come.