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Mississippi State baseball is in the Athens Super Regional with a first-year coach.
Brian O'Connor was hired by the Bulldogs before the 2026 season after coaching Virginia for 22 years.
MSU (43-17) is the No. 14 national seed against No. 3 Georgia (49-12) in the NCAA Tournament. The winner will advance to the College World Series, where MSU hasn't been since the 2021 national championship.
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 960-405-2.
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 and an additional $50,000 for reaching the super regional. He can earn $50,000 more for getting MSU to the College World Series.
His buyout is worth all of his remaining salary.
MORE: How Brian O’Connor already has Mississippi State 2 wins from CWS in first season
O'Connor is in his 19th NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
He's now made 10 super regionals, seven College World Series and won one national championship in 2015 with Virginia.
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 55 years old.
O'Connor was a pitcher at Creighton from 1990-93. He had a 20-13 record and 3.79 ERA.
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 super regional
Continue reading...
Brian O'Connor was hired by the Bulldogs before the 2026 season after coaching Virginia for 22 years.
MSU (43-17) is the No. 14 national seed against No. 3 Georgia (49-12) in the NCAA Tournament. The winner will advance to the College World Series, where MSU hasn't been since the 2021 national championship.
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 960-405-2.
Brian O'Connor contract 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 and an additional $50,000 for reaching the super regional. He can earn $50,000 more for getting MSU to the College World Series.
His buyout is worth all of his remaining salary.
MORE: How Brian O’Connor already has Mississippi State 2 wins from CWS in first season
Brian O'Connor NCAA Tournament history
O'Connor is in his 19th NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
He's now made 10 super regionals, seven College World Series and won one national championship in 2015 with Virginia.
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.
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.
Mississippi State vs Georgia super regional schedule
- Game 1: Saturday, June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN)
- Game 2: Sunday, June 7 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN)
- Game 3: Monday, June 8 (TBD)
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 super regional
Continue reading...
