Kentucky
Who is Nick Mingione? What to know about Kentucky baseball coach heading into NCAA super regional
Kentucky baseball is in the midst of the most successful stretch in the program’s nearly 130-year history.
The Wildcats have made three NCAA tournaments in the past seven years in which the event was held and won their regional in each of those instances. The 2024 season has been the culmination of that climb, with Kentucky sporting a 43-14 record and a No. 2 national ranking.
If the Wildcats are able to win their best-of-three super regional series this week against Oregon State — which they’ll be hosting starting Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington — they’ll advance to the College World Series for the first time ever.
REQUIRED READING: Kentucky baseball vs Oregon State prediction, odds for NCAA tournament super regional
Though those achievements are the result of the hard work, talent and dedication of dozens, if not hundreds, of players, coaches and staffers over the years, there’s one man in particular who’s rightly identified as a key figure in the program’s ascent.
Since arriving in the Bluegrass State in 2016, Nick Mingione has ushered in a decorated new era of Kentucky baseball, helping the Wildcats become a viable and nationally relevant program while competing in college baseball’s deepest, most ruthlessly competitive conference.
As he has Kentucky on the verge of a historical feat, here’s a closer look at Mingione and his career:
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Who is Nick Mingione?
Mingione is in his eighth season as Kentucky’s baseball coach, a post he assumed when he was hired by athletic director Mitch Barnhart on June 13, 2016.
“Nick Mingione is exactly the kind of coach we hoped to hire when we began our search,” Barnhart said in a statement at the time. “His passion, tactical mind and tireless recruiting efforts made him an important part of Mississippi State’s staff during some great years for the program. More than that, he is a man of substance who is committed not only to developing young men as baseball players, but as students and people.”
Mingione inherited a solid, if not strong, program, one that had won at least 30 games and finished with a winning record in each of the previous five seasons under coach Gary Henderson, who led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament in 2012 and 2014 before resigning after the 2016 season, citing the all-consuming lifestyle of coaching in the SEC in his decision to step down.
It didn’t take Mingione long to achieve the kind of success many hoped he could upon his arrival.
In 2017, his first season on the job, Mingione guided Kentucky to a 43-23 mark, a nine-win improvement from the previous season, and an NCAA tournament appearance. Once there, the Wildcats won their regional, moving them on to the super regional round for the first time in program history. For his team’s efforts, he was named SEC coach of the year.
Though the program hasn’t cleared that kind of a historical barrier every season since, it has remained a steady winner under Mingione’s watch. Kentucky has finished with a winning record in six of his previous seven seasons and is assured of another above-.500 campaign this season. Even the lone exception to that run wasn’t particularly woeful, with the Wildcats going 26-29 in 2019. This season, Kentucky has reached the 40-win mark for the eighth time ever and the first time in consecutive seasons. Last month, Mingione earned his second SEC coach of the year award.
The Wildcats’ broader team success under Mingione has led to individual triumphs for their players. During Mingione’s tenure, 20 Kentucky underclassmen have been drafted or signed by MLB teams, earning them a collective $12.66 million in signing bonus money.
While Kentucky is his first college head coaching job, Mingione had plenty of experience, including in the SEC, before being brought in to lead the Wildcats.
For eight seasons, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Mississippi State under coach John Cohen. During that stretch, the Bulldogs had five NCAA tournament appearances, won three regional championships and made the CWS championship series in 2013, where they fell to UCLA.
His current stint at Kentucky is actually not his first at the school, either. For two seasons, from 2006-07, he was an assistant under Cohen with the Wildcats, who won their first SEC championship in 2006.
A native of Tarrytown, New York, Mingione graduated in 2000 from Embry-Riddle University, where he was a four-year letterman in baseball.
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Nick Mingione coaching career
With his eighth season at Kentucky set to end some time in the next several weeks, here’s a look at Mingione’s various stops in his coaching career, in chronological order:
- 2002: Florida Gulf Coast, assistant
- 2003-05: Embry-Riddle, assistant
- 2006-07: Kentucky, assistant
- 2008: Western Carolina, assistant
- 2009-16: Mississippi State, assistant
- 2017-present: Kentucky, head coach
REQUIRED READING: Kentucky baseball tickets in Lexington Super Regional: Options for NCAA Tournament 2024
Nick Mingione record
Heading into this week’s super regional, Mingione’s career head-coaching record is 259-164, with all of those games taking place at Kentucky.
His 259 wins are the second most for a coach in program history, behind only Keith Madison, and his win percentage of 0.612 is the highest of any Wildcats baseball coach who was with the program for at least four seasons.
Power forward has been one of the positions that Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have to fill with Andrija Jelavic and Mo Dioubate gone. The two players that Pope has had on campus at the power forward position are Syracuse’s Donnie Freeman and Colorado’s Sebastian Rancik. Both are really good players, but Freeman is better by a wide margin.
It has felt that entire time that Kentucky wanted Rancik as the backup to Freeman or a backup plan if they weren’t able to land Freeman. Well, Rancik just picked Florida State, so perhaps this is a sign that the Wildcats will land Freeman.
Big Blue Nation was torn on Rancik, but I do believe he would have been a really solid backup power forward. I personally didn’t want him to be the starting four for this team. It is clear that he wanted to go somewhere where he could be the guy at the four, so he will be heading to the ACC to play for FSU.
Now that Kentucky has missed on Rancik, it is very important that the Wildcats land Freeman soon. The problem with waiting on some of these players is the fact that the portal isn’t slowing down. If Pope targets two power forwards and misses on both of them, most of the good fours in the portal will be gone.
There will be some panic in Lexington if the Wildcats are not able to land Freeman, but I do believe the Wildcats are in a good spot to land the elite power forward. From the beginning, Freeman has been my top player for Kentucky in the portal, as he, plus Malachi Moreno, will give the Wildcats an elite frontcourt.
If Pope is able to land Freeman and Tyran Stokes to pair with Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Moreno, and Kam Williams, this could be the start of a really good team in Lexington. Hopefully, an announcement for where Freeman will transfer comes soon, and hopefully, this will be to play for Pope at Kentucky.
Fans of rival teams will say Pope “whiffed” on Rancik, but if this whiff was because the Wildcats are set to land Freeman soon, then it was more than worth it for Kentucky. If the Wildcats are able to land Freeman, it will officially be time for Big Blue Nation to start getting excited about the 2026-27 season. I expect a decision from Freeman to come within the next day or two.
Rancik would have been a solid backup four in Lexington but Freeman has been the guy from the beggining for this staff so if Kentucky lands him all is well. If the staff misses on Freeman not landing Rancik will look bad.
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Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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