Mississippi State relieved head baseball coach Chris Lemonis of his duties on Monday in the midst of a disappointing season, letting go of the only head coach to win a national championship in a team sport for the Bulldogs.
Pitching coach Justin Parker, who joined the staff prior to the 2024 season, will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the year, per an athletic department release. A national search for the next full-time head coach has already begun.
“A change in leadership is what’s best for the future of Mississippi State baseball,” athletic director Zac Selmon said. “We have not consistently met the standard of success that our university, fans and student-athletes expect and deserve. I want to thank Coach Lemonis for his work and the time he gave to our program, including a national championship in 2021.”
Lemonis came to MSU from Indiana, where he reached three NCAA Tournaments in four years with the Hoosiers. He was born in Starkville but raised in South Carolina, playing college baseball at The Citadel, where he began his coaching career as an assistant before moving on to Louisville. He was hired at MSU in June 2018 and took the Bulldogs to the Men’s College World Series in his first two full seasons, winning it all in 2021.
Since then, MSU’s performance has not been up to that standard. The Bulldogs missed the postseason entirely in 2022 and 2023 before returning to the NCAA Tournament last spring. This year, MSU sits at 25-19 overall and 7-14 in Southeastern Conference play with three weeks remaining in the regular season. Lemonis’ overall record in Starkville was 232-135.
Lemonis hired Parker as the Bulldogs’ pitching coach following the 2023 season after Parker had been in the same role at South Carolina. He previously coached at Indiana — though he did not overlap with Lemonis there — as well as UCF and his alma mater, Wright State. He helped orchestrate a dramatic turnaround with MSU’s pitching staff last season, though that group has regressed this year.
The Bulldogs are next in action Tuesday evening against Memphis, then host Kentucky in a three-game series starting Friday.
“The tradition, the facilities, the NIL offerings and the fan base are all second to none. Dudy Noble Field is the best environment in the sport, period. This program is built for success. Our history proves it, and our future demands it,” Selmon said. “Our program has always been a national contender. That is the bar. We’re going to find a leader who will embrace that, elevate our program and compete for championships.”
You can help your community
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 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
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 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
