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Mississippi State baseball's first-year coach led the Bulldogs to a national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Brian O'Connor is the Bulldogs' new coach in 2026. He was hired after coaching 22 seasons at Virginia.
MSU (40-17) is the No. 14 national seed and hosting a Starkville Regional at Dudy Noble Field for the first time since 2021. The Bulldogs' first game is against No. 4 seed Lipscomb (29-24) on May 29 (1 p.m., ESPN+).
Here's what to know about O'Connor.
O'Connor coached Virginia for 22 seasons, the only other school where he's been the head coach. Before Virginia, he was an assistant coach at Notre Dame from 1995-2003 under Paul Mainieri. O'Connor started coaching at Creighton in 1993 after he was a pitcher for the Bluejays.
O'Connor has a career coaching record of 957-405-2.
O'Connor is earning $2.5 million in his first season as Mississippi State's coach. His contract runs through the 2031 season, averaging $2.9 million annually. It peaks at $3.3 million in 2031.
O'Connor got a $50,000 bonus for getting MSU to the NCAA Tournament. He'll earn an additional $50,000 for reaching a super regional.
His buyout is worth all of his remaining salary.
MORE: What sparked a Mississippi State WCWS run that looked unlikely when postseason began
O'Connor is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is just across the Missouri River on the other side of Omaha, Nebraska, where the College World Series is held. He used to go to CWS games as a kid.
O'Connor also used to work as a bartender at Barry O's Tavern in Omaha, not far from Charles Schwab Field.
Four baseball players are on the "The Road to Omaha" statue in front of Charles Schwab Field, and the likeness of O'Connor was used for one of the players.
O'Connor is in his 19th NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
He's made nine super regionals, seven College World Series and won one national championship in 2015 with Virginia.
O'Connor is 55 years old.
O'Connor was a pitcher at Creighton from 1990-93. He had a 20-13 record and 3.79 ERA.
All games at Dudy Noble Field; double elimination format; game times in Central
Friday, May 29
Saturday, May 30
Sunday, May 31
Monday, June 1
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball coach is Brian O'Connor in NCAA regional
Continue reading...
Brian O'Connor is the Bulldogs' new coach in 2026. He was hired after coaching 22 seasons at Virginia.
MSU (40-17) is the No. 14 national seed and hosting a Starkville Regional at Dudy Noble Field for the first time since 2021. The Bulldogs' first game is against No. 4 seed Lipscomb (29-24) on May 29 (1 p.m., ESPN+).
Here's what to know about O'Connor.
Brian O'Connor record, coaching history
O'Connor coached Virginia for 22 seasons, the only other school where he's been the head coach. Before Virginia, he was an assistant coach at Notre Dame from 1995-2003 under Paul Mainieri. O'Connor started coaching at Creighton in 1993 after he was a pitcher for the Bluejays.
O'Connor has a career coaching record of 957-405-2.
Brian O'Connor salary at Mississippi State
O'Connor is earning $2.5 million in his first season as Mississippi State's coach. His contract runs through the 2031 season, averaging $2.9 million annually. It peaks at $3.3 million in 2031.
O'Connor got a $50,000 bonus for getting MSU to the NCAA Tournament. He'll earn an additional $50,000 for reaching a super regional.
His buyout is worth all of his remaining salary.
MORE: What sparked a Mississippi State WCWS run that looked unlikely when postseason began
Brian O'Connor's connections to Omaha, College World Series
O'Connor is from Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is just across the Missouri River on the other side of Omaha, Nebraska, where the College World Series is held. He used to go to CWS games as a kid.
O'Connor also used to work as a bartender at Barry O's Tavern in Omaha, not far from Charles Schwab Field.
Four baseball players are on the "The Road to Omaha" statue in front of Charles Schwab Field, and the likeness of O'Connor was used for one of the players.
Brian O'Connor NCAA Tournament history
O'Connor is in his 19th NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
He's made nine super regionals, seven College World Series and won one national championship in 2015 with Virginia.
How old is Brian O'Connor?
O'Connor is 55 years old.
Brian O'Connor as a baseball player
O'Connor was a pitcher at Creighton from 1990-93. He had a 20-13 record and 3.79 ERA.
Starkville Regional schedule in 2026 NCAA baseball tournament
All games at Dudy Noble Field; double elimination format; game times in Central
Friday, May 29
- Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Lipscomb, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Game 2: Cincinnati vs. Louisiana, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
Saturday, May 30
- Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m., TBA
- Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 8 p.m., TBA
Sunday, May 31
- Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m., TBA
- Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m., TBA
Monday, June 1
- Game 7 (if necessary): TBA
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball coach is Brian O'Connor in NCAA regional
Continue reading...
