Coach Brian O’Connor to depart Virginia baseball for Mississippi State, sources say – The Cavalier Each day
Coach Brian O’Connor is leaving Virginia baseball after 22 seasons and heading to Mississippi State, in accordance with sources near the staff who requested to stay nameless as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly on the matter.
In a written message to the staff, which was shared with The Cavalier Each day, O’Connor introduced that he was taking the top teaching place at Mississippi State.
“I’ve chosen to just accept this chance as a result of I want a brand new problem and am enthusiastic about this subsequent chapter of my life,” O’Connor mentioned.
There was hypothesis over the previous week that the Virginia coach was a frontrunner for the Mississippi State place. Now, he’ll formally head there to Starkville. O’Connor additionally mentioned that senior management — affiliate head coach Kevin McMullan, assistant coach Matt Kirby and Justin Armistead, affiliate athletic director for baseball administration — shall be becoming a member of him at Mississippi State.
O’Connor, simply this system’s third coach since 1962, is Virginia’s all-time wins chief with 917 victories. He additionally ranks first in program historical past in successful proportion, ACC wins and successful proportion, ACC Event wins and successful proportion and NCAA Event wins and successful proportion. Furthermore, below O’Connor, over 100 former Cavaliers have been chosen within the MLB Draft.
In his written assertion to the staff, O’Connor mentioned that at Virginia, he had been fortunate to work alongside a gaggle of devoted gamers and training employees.
“I wish to thank every of you on your dedication, tireless work and loyalty throughout our time collectively,” O’Connor mentioned. “You and the numerous gamers earlier than you may have made Virginia baseball what it’s, as you may have heard me say earlier than — it’s the gamers that make this system what it’s.”
O’Connor’s departure marks the tip of essentially the most profitable period in program historical past. O’Connor famous that Virginia’s administration will put collectively a plan for his alternative and talk with this system.
In 2025, the Cavaliers completed with a 32-18 document and missed the NCAA Event for the third time below O’Connor. The season was a tough one, as Virginia was slowed down by inconsistent pitching and a plague of slumps to offensive mainstays.
In the meantime, Mississippi State went 36-24 and reached the NCAA Event earlier than being eradicated from the Tallahassee Regional by Florida State Sunday.
Virginia Athletics didn’t reply to a request for remark on the time of publication.