STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University rolled out the maroon carpet for new baseball head coach Brian O’Connor during a welcome event at Dudy Noble Field on Thursday.
The introduction, complete with fans and fireworks, cemented his arrival as one of the most prestigious coaching hires in the athletic department’s history, but it also demonstrated the magnitude of the stage O’Connor is stepping onto even after more than two decades at or near the top at Virginia.
Cultural investment
There was plenty of talk about investment in MSU baseball this week. The contract details revealed O’Connor to be the second-highest paid coach in college baseball, with contributions from donors supporting his average annual salary, but O’Connor made it clear that the emphasis on baseball from the Bulldog fans makes the program what it is.
When asked about cultural investment, O’Connor noted the support around the program, but also the buy-in from returning players.
“It’s got to start from that,” O’Connor said of cultural investment. “On Tuesday and Wednesday, I sat down with every player who had eligibility left for a half-hour meeting. Those two days were long days, but great days, because I got to understand from them, the guys who wore the uniform, what this place means to them. What the fanbase means to them. That’s the cultural investment that is so important. It’s in their blood, and you can see it when you talk to them. You have to start with that, the cultural investment, in order to be successful, because that’s a big part of the experience here at Mississippi State.”
Parker and staff
News broke earlier in the day that Justin Parker was going to remain in Starkville as the pitching coach on O’Connor’s staff, as well as official announcements that Kevin McMullan and Matt Kirby were following him from Virginia.
Announcements regarding the latter came as no surprise, as both readily shared their moves on social media, but their lengthy tenures as assistants to O’Connor at UVA made them ideal appointments.
“Coach McMullan has been by my side for 22 years,” O’Connor said. “I happen to feel that he is the best hitting coach and developer of position players in the country. How do you judge that? One by wins on the field, but also guys going into pro ball and making the Major Leagues, and our position player development over the last 22 years, I’d stack it up with anybody.”
Of Kirby, he said: “He’s been on our staff for 14 years. He’s our recruiting coordinator, and he also works with our hitters, catchers, outfielders, and he’s as loyal as the day is long. He’s dedicated to it and it shows (in) the consistency.”
O’Connor knew he wanted McMullan and Kirby, but he was open to the process of hiring a pitching coach. The ideal candidate for him was someone who knew the territory better than he did, and one just happened to be already in town.
In Parker, O’Connor recognized a talent for development, and recalled the impressive pitching staff Virginia had to face on its way to the College World Series a year ago, but he also recognized the connection to the current group and the SEC that he wanted on staff.
“I see the young pitchers on this staff, Foster, Burns, McPherson, there are others, and I’ve seen the talent that they have and I’m excited about the progression,” O’Connor said. “It goes to Parker as a pitching coach. Not only is he a developer of their skill who is going to help them not only win for MSU, but also be successful after their time here. I happen to feel he’s also a good man and the fiber of what he’s about is what I’m about.”
Part of O’Connor’s process involved getting to know the team after their return from Tallahassee. Along with the player meetings, O’Connor spent considerable time with Parker, both to get to know his players better but also to identify his strengths as a potential pitching coach under O’Connor..
“Coach Parker and I spent six different times together, some of those 30 minutes, some of those up to two hours, to get a good understanding of what he’s about and what he believes in pitching development,” O’Connor said. “I certainly had conversations with other candidates, that’s part of the process, but ultimately landed on he is the man that is most qualified and best at Mississippi State to lead this pitching staff moving forward.”
Process, commitment and winning
In Starkville, O’Connor rightly identified a program where winning is important. He sees that as important to building a team, but it’s “not everything.”
For him, it’s about having the resources and culture to bring in and retain the “right talent” to fulfill the dreams of trips to Omaha.
“It starts with the selection of the young men that you bring into the program, and that they’re the right young men that you want to be part of your team. But obviously the support is here. This stadium, this fanbase, everything that goes on with that to attract and retain the right talent to give your program a chance to win championships.”
O’Connor, McMullan and Kirby bring a successful approach to recruiting and development. He recognizes that a lot of the recruits he goes after are guys who are also thinking about Major League Baseball pathways, and while he doesn’t talk them out of the draft as an option, he has a track record of providing an alternate route to The Show.
“I’ve always looked at the process that a young man goes through at 18 years old and considering the MLB draft,” he said. “That is a great opportunity for those young men, and they have to, with their families, make their own individual decision about what direction they want to go with their life at the age of 18. I have never, and do not, talk a player out of signing out of high school. What I talk to them about is between the ages of 18-21, how do they want to live their life, and what do they envision their development path to be? The two paths are different. This path, you choose a coaching staff that every day is going to be part of their development, and it’s going to be the consistency every day and every year in their development until they’re eligible for the draft.”
O’Connor coached 102 MLB draft picks in his time at Virginia, 31 of whom eventually landed on major league rosters.
“What happens is you prove a track record of development, and those young men see that this is a great path and avenue for them. I believe in these two words, it’s about being prepared and equipped for whatever it is you do with life. Whether it’s to be a college player or college coach, I believe that college baseball, especially at this level, prepares those young men to be prepared and equipped for their professional careers. That’s what’s behind it, it’s not a sales pitch, it’s real and it’s genuine, and it helps them choose what the best path for them is.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
