Virginia Baseball Search: Potential UVA HC Candidates Coaching In the Super Regionals This Weekend

Jun 2, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Murray State Racers head coach Dan Skirka reacts with relief pitcher Graham Kelham (41) after defeating the Mississippi Rebels in the Oxford Regional. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Super Regionals in the NCAA Baseball Tournament are set to begin this weekend and while Virginia Baseball is accustomed to playing through this weekend, they have more pressing matters at hand. Long-time head coach Brian O'Connor left for Mississippi State and one of the best jobs in college baseball became open. In a statement from Virginia AD Carla Williams, she said that "Our national search began moments after he informed me of his decision on Sunday evening and we are making significant progress. With the tremendous support from our donors and our fans over the last two decades, we look forward to hiring a head coach that will build upon the excellence that already exists and continue competing for championships."

Being one of the premier jobs in the sport, Virginia should be able to land a top-tier coach, perhaps one that is coaching this weekend. Let's look at some potential candidates who are coaching this weekend who could make sense for Virginia:

Duke head coach Chris Pollard

Duke is one of the top teams in the country this season and punched their ticket this weekend to the super regionals after a dominant run that included beating regional host Georgia.

Per his Duke bio, Pollard has coached 46 Major League Baseball Draft picks, 24 All-ACC selections, nine Freshmen All-Americans, and seven All-Americans. In addition, he has led the program to three Super Regionals (2018, 2019, 2023) and two ACC Baseball Tournament Championship titles (2021, 2024), each the first in program history. Duke reached three consecutive postseasons (2018, 2019, 2021) for the first time in program history and his first postseason appearance in 2016 broke a 55-year drought. In 2021, Pollard became the first Duke coach to reach 100 career ACC wins, becoming one of six active head coaches to achieve that mark at the time.

Entering the 2025 season, Pollard sits with 379 career wins at Duke, three shy of becoming the winningest head coach in program history. In 2023 and 2024, the Blue Devils produced record-breaking performances on the field, shattering multiple program bests including home runs (2023 & 2024), strikeouts, fielding percentage, and runs (2023 & 2024).

Pollard is a proven coach who knows how to win. Could Virginia get him to leave?

Murray State head coach Dan Skirka

Murray State is the story of college baseball so far as the Racers punched their ticket to the super regionals last night with a win over Ole Miss. Skirka's name is going to get a lot of mention for coaching jobs because of the job he has done and the country is starting to notice what a strong program he has. He has built Murray State into a consistent winner in his seven seasons with the program and is a candidate worthy of a long look.

Jun 2, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Murray State Racers head coach Dan Skirka embraces outfielder Jonathan Hogart (15) after defeating the Mississippi Rebels in the Oxford Regional. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

West Virginia Head Coach Steve Sabins

He might be in his first season as the head coach at WVU, but Sabins has the program in the super regionals this weekend against LSU. With a program like Virginia, they may opt to bring in a more experienced coach, but Sabins has done an excellent job in his first season and in his years prior as an assistant.

Per his West Virginia bio, During Sabins’ tenure in Morgantown, the Mountaineers have produced record-setting numbers offensively, while also bringing in the highest-ranked recruiting classes in program history. That includes the 2018 class, ranked No. 21 nationally – the Mountaineers’ first top-25 recruiting class ever. A year later, the 2019 class added to the program's momentum, checking in at No. 23 nationally, marking the first time WVU signed back-to-back top-25 classes.

Sabins also led the charge in organizing four more top-40 classes from 2020-23.

Sabins has worked to become one of the premier assistant baseball coaches in the country. In January 2020, he represented the Mountaineers at the Surefire Forum, an event that brings together some of the nation’s top coaches to promote the future of the game.

Sabins helped lead the Mountaineers to new heights in 2023 as WVU took home a share of the Big 12 regular-season title for the first time in program history, the first conference championship for the Mountaineers since winning the Big East in 1996.

Oregon State Head Coach Mitch Canham

Another head coach that is currently coaching a team that is in a super regional. Oregon State will host Florida State this weekend with a trip to Omaha on the line and Canham has done a great job of guiding this program since becoming the head coach in 2019.

Per his Oregon State bio, Canham and the Beavers advanced to their seventh consecutive NCAA postseason appearance in 2024. Oregon State ended the season with a 45-16 record, appearing in the team’s ninth NCAA Super Regional. Canham mentored Travis Bazzana, who was selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft, the second such selection in the program’s history. Bazzana was one of seven MLB Draft selections in 2024. Bazzana, who was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy, was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year. He was a unanimous First-Team All-American. He was one of five All-Americans for the Beavers in Canham’s fifth season at the helm, being joined by Aiden May, Jacob Kmatz, Bridger Holmes and Gavin Turley.

Canham guided Oregon State to a 48-18 record and a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2022, his second full season as the program’s head coach. The Beavers finished 20-10 in Pac-12 play, second in the conference, and advanced to the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament title game.

Kevin Schnall, Coastal Carolina Head Coach

Schnall has quickly impressed in his first year as head coach of the Chanticleers, leading them to a 48-11 record and an NCAA Tournament bid to go along with Sun Belt Tournament and Regular Season Titles. Schnall garnered 2025 Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors for his efforts and has quickly proved that if he wants to take the step up to a Power 4 conference, he’s more than capable of leading a big-time program. The Chanticleers won the Conway Regional this past weekend with a 3-0 record.