Brian O'Connor era kicks off in style on Thursday night

A statement was made inside Dudy Noble Field on Thursday night that Mississippi State people hope will be cemented in a major way very soon.

Brian O’Connor has been anticipating it since he stepped off of the plane in Starkville last Sunday night, but the whirlwind that was the last few days didn’t quite prepare him for it. Thousands of maroon and white clad fans came out to welcome the coach in a celebration that only one place could properly produce.

As O’Connor stepped to the podium with fireworks blasting, cowbells ringing and lights flashing and he uttered just one word – “wow”. That reaction told the story as to why the longtime Virginia head man left his post in Charlottesville after 22 years. MSU and the baseball program are delivering something special, and he had to be a part of it.

“Tonight was amazing. Tonight showed what this place is all about,” O’Connor said. “You can feel the energy and the enthusiasm that everybody has for this baseball program.”

An extravagant production welcomed O’Connor into the fold as the 19^th head coach at MSU and it was a celebration 140 years in the making. Never have the Bulldogs hired away a coach with the pedigree of O’Connor and that spans across every sport on campus, but it was baseball that had the best chance of doing it.

With decades of investments poured into the program by great coaches and players and the support of one of the most passionate fanbases in college baseball, it’s grown a reputation across the baseball community.

O’Connor saw it in 2000 as the pitching coach at Notre Dame when he came to Starkville for a Regional. He saw it again from the State program when they came to Charlottesville in 2013 and dogpiled on his field before going to the College World Series final. He also saw it in Omaha, Neb. as State came from behind to take down the Cavaliers and move into the winner’s bracket on the way to the school’s first championship in 2021.

“This is an incredibly special place in Starkville. Certainly, the program is supported at the highest level and the history and tradition that’s behind this program,” O’Connor said. “Zac Selmon was a big part of this. I felt like, if I was going to leave this place that I loved, it had to be the right partnership and then it had to be the place you felt like you could be as successful as possible.”

O’Connor was Bulldogs’ number one

Selmon identified O’Connor as his top target a few weeks ago after firing head coach Chris Lemonis and the AD would not be deterred from him. Over the course of the last several weeks, Selmon pushed State’s commitment to the baseball program and the resources that would follow and it paid off, literally.

O’Connor is set to be the second-highest paid coach in college baseball with a $2.9 million salary per year. There’s a commitment from the administration to his staff and through NIL that will also make State one of the most competitive programs in all of college baseball.

With that comes even higher expectations from State fans and the program itself, but the entire administration and the coaching staff are running to those. Selmon just knew he wanted one of the best in the game to lead one of the best programs in the game.

“I think time will tell that,” Selmon said of what the hire means. “We understand the importance of Mississippi State baseball and how competitive this league is. As a competitor, you want to come play in the Southeastern Conference because it’s not for the faint of heart – it’s for the elite competitors that want to play at the biggest stage.

“As we looked at it, we wanted somebody that wanted to chase championships at the highest level. Where the dust settles, I think I have a clear vision. But we’re just focused on getting better every day.”

As the fireworks fired off one final time and the fans gave their hearty pats on the back, O’Connor was focused on one thing – creating a roster that will bring home another trophy to Starkville.

The coach has already put together a staff that includes most of those that were with him at Virginia, including his longtime Associate Head Coach Kevin McMullan and Recruiting Coordinator Matt Kirby. On Thursday, it was announced that he was also retaining Justin Parker to be his pitching coach.

With that staff locked in, O’Connor and his crew have been recruiting the transfer portal extremely hard with several former Virginia players in attendance at the event on Thursday. There were more players that are at the top of the priority list that have been on campus as well and the coach spent two days talking to every player on the roster to give his pitch for a return.

“Those two days were long days, but they were great days because I got to understand from the guys that wore the uniform what this place means to them,” O’Connor said. “That’s that cultural investment that is so important. It’s in those young men’s blood so it has to start with that in order to be successful.”

Bulldogs everywhere are ready to win, and they’ve hired a coach that knows how. He comes to State with over 900 career wins, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances in 21 chances, seven College World Series and a National Championship. He’s striving for more in Starkville.