Brian O'Connor Gives Answer For Why He Decided To Leave Virginia For Mississippi State

Jun 16, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Brian O'Connor leaves the meeting with the umpires before the game against the Florida Gators at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, the news broke that long-time Virginia Baseball head coach Brian O'Connor was going to leave to take the head coaching job at Mississippi State, leaving Charlottesville after 22 seasons as the head coach.

O'Connor was introduced to the media yesterday and before he talked about why he took the job in Starkville, he started his press conference by thanking the University of Virginia and reminiscing on his time as the Cavaliers head coach. O'Connor was of course asked about what made him take the job at Mississippi State after being at Virginia for so long, as well as what the moment was like for when he finally decided to take the job and here is what he had to say:

"Well, so much goes into that, right? That's a long answer probably for that. We don't all have time for, but this is an incredibly special place here in Starkville. Certainly the program is supported at the highest level, right? In the history and tradition that's behind this program. But Zach Selman was a big part of this. I felt like if I was going to leave this place that I loved and worked at for 22 years, it had to be the right partnership, first and foremost. And then, you know, it had to be the place that you felt like you could be as successful as possible, right? I poured everything into that program in Charlottesville and, you know, the timing was lined up from the standpoint of where I was at in my career and where my family was at. Yes, there's been a lot of schools over the years that have reached out about their jobs, but make no mistake about it, this was the right one for Brian O'Connor to take a different path in his career.

Well, we had a final conversation, Zach (Selman) and I did. And I think he felt like in that conversation, maybe I should have or would have accepted the job. And I just told him that I needed a little bit of time. All right. And, you know, I'm a little bit of a softie sometimes. Okay. My family is always first and foremost in my decisions. So I sat down on the couch with my wife, Cindy, and my son, Dylan, and I held their hands and said one last time and said, are you all on board? Okay. And they looked at me and smiled and said, yes, we are. Right. I knew that I wanted to do it. I knew it was the right opportunity. Okay. And then I called Zach back and told him that I wanted to be the next baseball coach here. And then there's a process in this. It just doesn't mean that now you're going to be the baseball coach. Right. There's approvals that have to happen and things like that. And that takes, you know, sometimes 24 hours to run those approvals as just part of the search. Okay. But it was an exciting, proud moment in my life. Obviously, it was change, but really excitement."

Jun 16, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavalier head coach Brian O'Connor walks off the field after the loss against the Florida State Seminoles at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

UVA athletic director Carla Williams released a statement earlier this week on the departure of O'Connor:

"We are extremely grateful for Coach Brian O'Connor for his 22 years of outstanding leadership and service not only to our baseball program but to the University and Charlottesville communities. He established Virginia Baseball as the model for everything important to this community, including his incredible development of young men on and off the field and his commitment to integrity, hard work, and academics. Coach O'Connor built a national championship program and that legacy is driving very strong interest in the position. We are indebted to him and his family for their dedication to the University of Virginia. 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."

It will be interesting to see how quickly this job gets filled. There are a number of players already hitting the transfer portal and a number of coaches from O'Connor's staff who are leaving for Mississippi State. It should be a coveted job around the country, but the timing is going to be something to watch going forward.