Where were you when the news broke?
I was sitting in a carpool line when a flurry of messages came – “Lemonis is out,” read one, followed relatively quickly by an official statement from MSU Athletics and AD Zack Selmon.
Shocking, sure, but not surprising, as the writing had been on the wall for some time. Barring a miracle turnaround in the second half of SEC play, this season was always going to be the end of Chris Lemonis’ tenure as head baseball coach for the Bulldogs. His contract was set to expire in June 2026, and with no extension on the horizon, I don’t think either party was eager for a lame-duck season.
From a public relations perspective, the timing was smart. Get fans interested in the program (but not focused on the results) with a Super Bulldog Weekend series versus Kentucky and then Ole Miss looming.
And what about Kentucky? They’re coached by Nick Mingione, a longtime MSU assistant who’s led the Wildcats to unprecedented (for them) success over the past nine seasons, overseeing UK’s first-ever NCAA Regional, Super Regional and College World Series appearances. Could he be auditioning for the Mississippi State job this weekend?
Of course, Lemonis brought similar credentials to Starkville, having led Indiana to the postseason three times in his four years there. And his tenure in Starkville started with a bang, leading the Bulldogs to Omaha in 2019. After the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic, Lemonis led MSU to its first national championship after a thrilling run through the College World Series. He remains the only coach ever to win a national championship in a team sport at Mississippi State.
But college sports is a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ business, and unfortunately for Bulldog fans, the answer is “not much.” Since 2022, MSU has gone 118-98, a 54.6 winning percentage, with just one regional appearance, last year.
Why the dropoff? Did Lemonis suddenly forget how to coach? I’ve heard from those who believe that the 2019 and 2021 teams were actually Andy Cannizaro’s (lest we forget that sordid affair) and all Lemonis had to do was steer the ship. Others feel modern roster management was his weakness, where managing NIL offerings and the constant churn of the transfer portal increasingly takes a head coach’s attention away from the field.
I’ve always appreciated Lemonis’ demeanor. Fiery when he had to be, but even-keeled and consistent otherwise. Loyal to his players – maybe too loyal in the face of struggles – and a fine representative of the university. I don’t think they’ll build him a statue, but flags fly forever. And that 2021 national championship will always be Lemonis’, regardless of how you believe it happened.
Unlike those at the vast majority of other universities, fans care deeply about Mississippi State baseball. The history, facilities and attendance are all top-notch. In his statement, Selmon called it “the premier job in college baseball.” Firing a championship-winning coach – your only championship winning coach – is a big swing. It doesn’t take an expert in analytics to tell you what big swings typically produce; home runs and strike outs. Let’s hope Selmon and his staff get a pitch they can handle.
Philip Poe is sports editor.
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