STARKVILLE – Brian O’Connor was 32 when he was hired as Virginia’s baseball coach in 2003.
He had never been a head coach and was taking over a Virginia program that had only made three NCAA Tournaments. It was also before social media and college baseball boomed into what it is today.
“There wasn’t much in the way of knowing people back then,” said Ryan Zimmerman, who played at Virgina from 2003-05 before a 17-year career with the Washington Nationals. “Obviously, he was well regarded and came in as a good baseball guy, but we really didn’t know what to expect or what it was going to be like.”
It turned into a program-changing hire for the Cavaliers, who quickly became one of the top teams in the ACC. That success was sustained for 22 years as O’Connor led the Cavaliers to 18 NCAA Tournaments, seven College World Series and one national championship.
But that run at Virginia ended when Mississippi State pried O’Connor away to be the Bulldogs’ new coach in 2026. They doubled O’Connor’s salary, and there are immediately high expectations with MSU ranked No. 6 in the preseason.
Some fans are calling 2026 the most highly anticipated season in program history before opening day against Hofstra on Feb. 13 (4 p.m., SEC Network+).
The Clarion Ledger spoke with several of O’Connor’s Virginia players to learn what makes him such a great coach, how they think he’ll do at Mississippi State and how they reacted to him leaving Virginia.
“I think he’ll do great,” said Tyler Cannon, a Virginia baseball Hall of Fame shortstop from 2007-10. “I really do. He’s an unbelievable coach, but he’s an even better leader. The guy never sleeps.”
Why Virginia players think Brian O’Connor will succeed at Mississippi State
Virginia had a 29-25 record, but placed sixth in the ACC in 2003. O’Connor quickly brought Virginia back to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 with a 44-15 record and second-place finish in the ACC.
That began a run of 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
“I think the thing with him that really separates him from other coaches is his ability to adapt and adjust,” said Stephen Schoch, a Virginia pitcher from 2020-21. “He’s not married to a system.”
Virginia won its national championship in 2015, but the team wasn’t a powerhouse from opening day to the championship. In fact, the team nearly missed the ACC Tournament but won five of its last six conference games to be a No. 7 seed in the 10-team field.
The Cavaliers were a No. 3 seed but swept the regional and then Maryland in the super regional. Virginia only lost one game throughout the entire NCAA Tournament.
“It was always the poise he showed,” said Alec Bettinger, a Virginia pitcher from 2014-17. “It’s a word he used a lot with us, especially the pitchers having poise in big situations. Not getting too high, not getting too low. I always remember in big situations, bad calls, great plays, whatever it might be, you would look at the end of the dugout and his expression didn’t change much until the job as over.”
MORE: Why new Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor wanted dirt batter’s box instead of turf
O’Connor has had extreme continuity on his coaching staff, and brought many of his assistant coaches with him to Mississippi State.
Kevin McMullan, MSU’s new associate head coach, was at Virginia since 2003. Matt Kirby, another new MSU assistant coach, was at Virginia for 14 seasons, 12 as a volunteer assistant.
The only other members of O’Connor’s Mississippi State staff who didn’t previously work for him are pitching coach Justin Parker and data/video analytics coordinator Jonathan French.
“I think the thing that just stands out the most is the consistency and the way they treat each person whether you are supposed to be the best player on the team or whether you’re a guy that walked on,” Zimmerman said. “They do really get the best out of each and every person.”
Virginia players react to Brian O’Connor leaving for Mississippi State
O’Connor was hired on June 1, approximately one hour after the Bulldogs were eliminated by Florida State in the Tallahassee Regional final. Rumors and reports began surfacing well before then that O’Connor was likely becoming the next Mississippi State coach. Virginia’s season ended short of the NCAA Tournament on May 21.
“I had mixed feelings,” Cannon said. “Nothing against (O’Connor) whatsoever. I was just more sad about him not being in a Virginia uniform anymore is the best way to put it. But the way I look at it, I’m obviously super happy for him.”
“I think a lot of people were obviously upset,” Zimmerman said. “Kind of like I told everybody, all good things come to an end at some point. And to do what they did for 20-plus years is remarkable.”
Some of the players said they’ll use it as an opportunity to catch a game at Dudy Noble Field.
“(O’Connor) is one of my favorite people in college baseball, so seeing him go to one of the programs I really like and really want to see have success, I couldn’t be happier about that,” Schoch said.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
