Couple of names starting to emerge for Mississippi State coaching job

It's early, but sources starting to throw some names out that might be more than wishful thinking

Virginia Cavaliers coach Brian O'Connor leaves the meeting with the umpires before the game against the Florida Gators at Charles Schwab Field Omaha at the College World Series. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

STARKVILLE, Miss. — When SEC schools have a job opening in a major sport, there's always going to be a laundry list of wild speculation.

Mississippi State has that going now.

Some big names are starting to be thrown around the Bulldogs' baseball opening when they jettisoned Chris Lemonis to finally get him off the Rawlings bucket he sits on in the dugout.

Maybe one of the biggest names rising to the top is Virginia coach Brian O'Connor. Several sources have said he is a person of interest. It would be big name.

Brian O'Connor Details

• 2015 National Champions (first in program history & first ACC program since 1955)
• Seven College World Series appearances (second most of any program since 2009) and two CWS Finals berths
• 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances (2004-2017)
• 10 NCAA regional championships
• Two ACC championships
• Five 50-win seasons
• 885 wins, including 669 wins since 2009 (fourth most in the nation)

How real that is remains to be seen. It would be a huge pickup if State has the money. Reports are O'Connor is making $1.4 million a year with a $500,000 buyout.

But there are rumors he is not particularly happy with the Cavaliers' higher-ups' support for his program that has put up some big numbers for the past couple of decades.

It's easy to see, though, why he would be a primary get

The other big name on the list is Georgia assistant head coach Will Coggin. He did just beat the Bulldogs in a weekend series in April and is familiar with Mississippi.

Will Coggin Details

Playing Career
2005-06: Northeast Mississippi Community College
2007-08: Mississippi State

Coaching Career
2009-12: Mississippi State, Student Assistant
2013-15: St. Johns River (Fla.) State College, Assistant Coach
2015-16: Mississippi State, Coordinator of Baseball Camps/Volunteer Coach
2016-17: Mississippi State, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2020-23: Kentucky, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2023-current: Georgia, Assistant Head Coach

Coggin directed Georgia's record-setting offense in 2024 as the Bulldogs finished with a 43-17 mark and one win away from the College World Series.

How These Things Work

Every athletic director usually keeps three lists on coaches in all sports and it breaks down fairly logically and simply.
• Who they would absolutely love to get but nobody should count on it.
• Coaches they can probably reasonably have a chance to get, but it's going to take some negotiating and talking.
• The guys they are fairly confident they can get both from an interest and financial standpoint.

There are other names being thrown around by Bulldogs' fans and some of them may actually be in a position to actually know something.