Justin Parker

[OG Goat Holder]

Our top recruit is going pro, decent chance we lose a couple kids to the draft. It's a pretty average class overall. Outside of about 4 kids, it's nothing special.

It's ranked #5 in the country. That's pretty damn good, and a lot better than it has been. Parker has been a big part of that.

I'd also use Arnett as an example of why you don't do this. If Parker is a great pitching coach, keep him with the next staff.

That's a contradiction. Can't tell the next coach what to do. Heck many of you supported Arnett scrapping the Air Raid because it was now 'his program', remember? So you can't have it both ways.

But the reality is, those situations were totally different. Everybody knew Arnett should have at least been a 'restricted' interim that should keep everything the same, at least for one year. In this case, you've fired the coach, and Parker is getting some on-the-job training. And I assume he'll get an interview for the job too, even if a courtesy. But there's no reason not to give him a look, especially since he seems to understand what needs to change in this program to move it forward - RECRUITING. And he also seems to be able to get the mediocre talent we do have, to play better. Arnett did that last part well too, as evidenced in the bowl game. His problem was that he changed something in the program that did not need to be changed (the offense). All he had to do was STFU and coach defense, and that team wins 2-3 more games and looks totally different. Then he could do whatever he wanted in 2024.

Best case scenario would be hiring a guy like Brian O'Connor and also keeping Parker. But we all know that ain't happening and we will likely end up some assistant or a G5 head guy, and the likelihood they keep Parker is low, barring some crazy postseason run.

Bottom line is, I don't totally disagree with @dog99walker when he says that we need some stability. The program isn't THAT bad.....yet. It was headed that way a little bit every year under Lemonis, but we've probably caught it just in the nick of time. And a lot of that was due to Parker.

 

[dog99walker]

Mississippi State is not the kind of school that hires a guy away from larger, blue blood programs. It’s foolish to think “we can take a Scholssnagle away from Texas.” Parker has worked in our system for a couple of years. He has improved everything he has touched, so far. He saying the right things to our team and to the media. Normally, I think Patdog and the more established SixPackers are on the right path-true Maroon, but in this case, I think y’all are wrong. I can just hear it…”oowww Cann, if he can’t do it, nobody can!” How did that outside hire work? I can just hear it, “Henderson can’t keep this up…hire Lemonis. He has head coaching experience.” Come on y’all. Wise up.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Thank you, dogwalker. We are not getting an elite coach. The best at the best programs are not coming here - regardless of the facilities and the fan17ntasstic fan support.

If we get a coach with anything close to a proven record, we will likely be overpaying.

If they've been coaching more then 20 years, it will be worse than Polk II. And that's about how bad it is now.

I hope Parker can have a great post season. For all our sakes. It doesn't have to be him, but we will be better off getting a hungry coach on the cheap. Save the big bucks for football and hope we get lucky with the other sports.

 

[dog99walker]

Hold on. I ain’t, in the least devaluing MS State commitment to baseball. I want a great baseball program. I just don’t think it’s far away. I don’t think we need to break the bank hiring a “big name”.

 

[Pookieray]

I agree, but incentives should be higher.

I'm don't know what the numbers should be, it's the format I think that should be followed if we were to go the way of hiring him.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

How do you do that when you're probably trying to hire a guy whose team is playing late into the postseason??

I'm 100% laser-focused on O'Connor, who is unlikely to be coaching in a Regional through no fault of his own (unless he personally made UVA's super soft schedule that screwed their RPI over).

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Mississippi State is not the kind of school that hires a guy away from larger, blue blood programs. It’s foolish to think “we can take a Scholssnagle away from Texas.” Parker has worked in our system for a couple of years. He has improved everything he has touched, so far. He saying the right things to our team and to the media. Normally, I think Patdog and the more established SixPackers are on the right path-true Maroon, but in this case, I think y’all are wrong. I can just hear it…”oowww Cann, if he can’t do it, nobody can!” How did that outside hire work? I can just hear it, “Henderson can’t keep this up…hire Lemonis. He has head coaching experience.” Come on y’all. Wise up.

Literally no one is saying at Schlossnagle is a candidate, and literally no one would be saying O'Connor is a candidate if there were a huge group of reporters and insiders saying that he actually is.

 

[HotMop]

My answer is your username. Awehellnaw.

It's Aw Whell Naw.

 

[ETK99]

Mississippi State is not the kind of school that hires a guy away from larger, blue blood programs. It’s foolish to think “we can take a Scholssnagle away from Texas.” Parker has worked in our system for a couple of years. He has improved everything he has touched, so far. He saying the right things to our team and to the media. Normally, I think Patdog and the more established SixPackers are on the right path-true Maroon, but in this case, I think y’all are wrong. I can just hear it…”oowww Cann, if he can’t do it, nobody can!” How did that outside hire work? I can just hear it, “Henderson can’t keep this up…hire Lemonis. He has head coaching experience.” Come on y’all. Wise up.

Who said we were trying to take a blue blood coach or Schloss? Nobody
Poor Oles gonna Poor Ole

 

[ababyatemydingo]

We have good recruits coming. The discussion on this board is completely wacky. The hiring of Parker would go a long way toward keeping them,

I've heard this somewhere before. Can't remember where

 

[GloryDawg]

If the team ends up doing good and we can't find the guy we want, maybe give him a one-year contract and see what he can do. Every successful coach was an assistant coach at one time.

 

[ETK99]

If the team ends up doing good and we can't find the guy we want, maybe give him a one-year contract and see what he can do. Every successful coach was an assistant coach at one time.

LOL no

 

[patdog]

If the team ends up doing good and we can't find the guy we want, maybe give him a one-year contract and see what he can do. Every successful coach was an assistant coach at one time.

That’s the worst thing to do. He’s either the new coach or he isn’t. A 1-year contract is a kiss of death.

 

[onewoof]

This board wants 1 week contracts to fire and hire weekly

 

[She Mate Me]

That’s the worst thing to do. He’s either the new coach or he isn’t. A 1-year contract is a kiss of death.

This would be my knee jerk as well, but I wonder if that's still true in this portal/NIL era.

 

[PBRME]

He would need to make a run in the CWS, pick up some good players in the portal, and keep/improve the current class. He does that and he should at least be considered, but down this list of targets.

 

[msualohadog]

Three truths about Parker:

1. He's done an outstanding job reenergizing this fan base who was left for dead.
2. He doesn't need to be the next head coach at Mississippi State.
3. He should get a very good offer based upon what he is doing here. I hope he kills it. I will be a fan of whatever team he's coaching unless it's us.

 

[She Mate Me]

He would need to make a run in the CWS, pick up some good players in the portal, and keep/improve the current class. He does that and he should at least be considered, but down this list of targets.

I'm not clear how he would accomplish the last two as an interim coach who is not likely to be here next season.

 

[HumpDawgy]

BIG NAME COACH. Stop with the "could be" great coaches and go get one of them that has proven he is already a great head coach.

 

[NWADawg]

If the team ends up doing good and we can't find the guy we want, maybe give him a one-year contract and see what he can do. Every successful coach was an assistant coach at one time.

If we go that route, it would have to be a full 4 yr contract. Just make the buyout drop significantly after year 1.

I'm not saying hiring Parker is what we should do. But if we give him a shot, it has to at least appear to be a real commitment.

 

[PBRME]

I'm not clear how he would accomplish the last two as an interim coach who is not likely to be here next season.

He’s auditioning for the job. He’s still recruiting.

 

[Pookieray]

This is the way.

Give him a bump in pay, add a title, "assistant head coach" or "next in line if this new guy doesn't work out" or something.

(I know it usually doesn't work out to keep a former interim as an assistant, as we've discussed before, just saying this is what I would be trying to do.)

if i'm the new coach coming in i would have the say in who i hire. all the coaches should be looking to see whats available for them and not expecting to be retained even though the new coach may want to keep someone.

 

[Indndawg]

Well, here we are at the end of the season and it’s looking more and more likely we get into the tournament. Certainly wouldn’t have expected this a few weeks ago. Since Parker has taken over, we are 6-1. Moral seems much improved amongst the fans, players and so on. Winning cures all as they say. Cleaner play on the field and fewer boneheaded coaching decisions.

I can’t help but wonder what Parker would have to accomplish to retain his position. Henderson made it all the way to Omaha but was still shown the door. Granted, I believe Henderson inherited a much more talented team. At what stage would you be “ok” with Parker keeping his job for 2026? Make the sweet sixteen, make it to Omaha, has to win the whole damn thing? Personally, if he took this team to Omaha, I think he’s earned his shot.

I know we love the underdog and asst coach stepping in a doing great things, but no. He need a proven HC. No more Arnette II's

 

[Indndawg]

Well, here we are at the end of the season and it’s looking more and more likely we get into the tournament. Certainly wouldn’t have expected this a few weeks ago. Since Parker has taken over, we are 6-1. Moral seems much improved amongst the fans, players and so on. Winning cures all as they say. Cleaner play on the field and fewer boneheaded coaching decisions.

I can’t help but wonder what Parker would have to accomplish to retain his position. Henderson made it all the way to Omaha but was still shown the door. Granted, I believe Henderson inherited a much more talented team. At what stage would you be “ok” with Parker keeping his job for 2026? Make the sweet sixteen, make it to Omaha, has to win the whole damn thing? Personally, if he took this team to Omaha, I think he’s earned his shot.

If he barely beats Illinois in a meaningless bowl game, then I'm sold

 

[Indndawg]

Yeah people forget that Gary got us one win away from the national title series and we still told him “no thanks, gonna hire this dude from Indiana that our fans have never heard of”.

Don’t see it being Parker.

Techinally we hired Cann

 

[RopeDawg]

If he gets us to Omaha I wouldn’t be upset if they named him coach. Not my first choice but if he pulls that off it definitely shows me something and the momentum will be huge.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

All this talk will end after Missouri rails us a game or two