Mississippi State Head Coach Hot Board

Mississippi State announced the firing of Head Coach Chris Lemonis Monday after a series loss on the road against Auburn. Expectations are high in Starkville, as evidenced by the midseason firing of a national championship-winning coach despite a 25-19 record and a recent trip to a Regional Final. The timing shows Mississippi State wants to be the leader in the coaching market, and feel they are one of the most valuable jobs in the country.

On the coaching side, Starkville is an attractive destination. With the impending Settlement coming to college athletics, now is the time to get on the boat or get left behind. 

Mississippi State is going to be one of the many schools in the SEC committing legit funds and resources to their Baseball program. Not to mention it is a Baseball crazed fan base that regularly sells out the 15,000 seat Dudy Noble Field. Mississippi State is on the short list of rocket ship potential programs, and there are going to be names connected to this job that will shock the college baseball community.

Let’s take a look at our first Hot Board for the Mississippi State Job.

The Big Fish

Nick Mingione, Head Coach Kentucky: This feels like the most likely hire for both parties involved. Mingione spent seven seasons in Starkville before taking the Head Coaching job at Kentucky. Kentucky is in the upper echelon of the sport, but a 2024 Omaha appearance feels like the ceiling for the program. Mingione has gotten Kentucky baseball to their ceiling, and I am sure his ultimate goal is to win a National Championship, which is more likely at Mississippi State. Starkville is a place he is familiar with, and he understands what it takes to be successful there.

Skip Johnson, Head Coach Oklahoma: This might feel like a step down for Johnson considering Oklahoma is currently ranked inside the top 25, and ahead of Mississippi State in the SEC standings, but I think Johnson’s flirtation with last offseason with Texas A&M showed his hand on what he believes Oklahoma’s ceiling is in the SEC. One thing that the public never gets to see is the commitment from a University to its Baseball program. It is why you see high level coaches entertaining the idea of moving from what the public perceives as a good situation. Does Johnson have concerns about Oklahoma’s commitment to Baseball, and their ability to compete in the SEC? There are no questions about Mississippi State’s commitment level to Baseball, and that could intrigue Johnson to make the move from one conference rival to another.

Tom Walter, Head Coach Wake Forest: Timing is everything in coaching searches. We are quickly transitioning to a new age of college athletics with the impending Settlement. There is not an ACC coach that wouldn’t entertain getting on the megaship that is the SEC with their TV money, and the ability to allocate that money to a Baseball program. As the SEC is rolling in the dough, the ACC just agreed to a new deal that pays schools based on their TV ratings and on field football success. That will only hurt Wake Forest’s ability to redirect money into a Baseball program that has had a ton of success. I think Coach Walter’s flirtation with Texas A&M last offseason showed the public what his personal goals are, and where he thinks he is best suited to do that. If Walter was interested in A&M, he will definitely be interested in Mississippi State.

Chris Pollard, Head Coach Duke: Another high academic private school in the ACC, Pollard has had his name thrown around in several coaching searches over the years. He has built Duke into an annual ACC contender, but can they maintain that success in the new age? That is a question only Coach Pollard can answer. Duke’s commitment level to Baseball has to match the opportunity to compete for a National Championship at one of the top programs in the country.

Mid Major Head Coaches

Skylar Meade, Head Coach Troy: Skylar Meade is a rockstar. What he has been able to do in such a short time at Troy is unbelievably impressive. He is a future SEC Head Coach, and it is simply a matter of when a school pulls the trigger on him. Meade has some SEC experience from his time as the Pitching Coach at South Carolina, and that gives him the knowledge of what it takes to compete in the SEC. This might not be a name that gets Diamond Dawg fans excited, but it would be a savvy hire that would work well.

Dan Heefner, Head Coach Dallas Baptist: A main component of this Hot Board is taking the names connected to the A&M job, and figuring out if they would be a fit for Mississippi State. Heefner was mentioned late in the A&M process before he pulled his name out of the running. Was that because he wanted to stay at DBU, or because his son, Luke, was coming back for his Senior year? Now considering his younger son David, is a Redshirt Freshman at DBU, maybe the move out of state might not entice Heefner. However, f he is open to the move, it would make a ton of sense. DBU is a player development factory with less resources than most, and he has built a consistent Super Regional contender. Give him SEC resources and you can build something special.

Cliff Godwin, Head Coach East Carolina: I have always felt Godwin was waiting for Coach Bianco to hang it up in Oxford before making a move from ECU, but remember, timing is everything. Does the impending changes to the sport accelerate Godwin’s desire to get to the SEC? ECU fans are more passionate about Baseball than Football, so maybe they can thrive in the new age, but it is a matter of what their ceiling can be. After putting together annual Omaha caliber teams, and never breaking through, maybe Godwin is ready for his next challenge. Similar to Justin Haire’s move to Ohio State, this could be one that surprises many due to the loyalty Godwin has shown for years.

Christian Ostrander, Head Coach Southern Miss: Who has been the best team in Mississippi the last two seasons? Not the behemoths of Ole Miss or Mississippi State, it has been Southern Miss. While Ostrander inherited a great program, and has really just kept the Southern Miss program where it was, he is a name to know. If he is a future SEC head coach, Mississippi State people know that better than anyone due to the close proximity. If they feel he has a bright future, don’t be surprised to see his name connected.

Assistant Coaches to Know

Josh Elander, Hitting Coach Tennessee: Elander has been connected to every big job for the last two-to-three years. He has built Tennessee’s offense into arguably the best in the country year in and year out. Even after losing the core of their National Championship roster, they are still at the top of the SEC in many offensive categories. But why hasn’t he left Knoxville? Some guys just prefer to coach ball, and Coach Vitello seems like a great guy to work for. If Elander is finally ready to make the leap, there isn’t a better situation to walk into than Starkville. They offer similar (if not better) resources than Tennessee, and he will be in a position to succeed as a first time head coach.

Matt Hobbs, Pitching Coach Arkansas: Timing is everything, right? I do not think Hobbs will be looking to be a head coach anywhere outside of Fayetteville any time soon, but never say never. With his alma mater, Missouri, most likely opening this offseason, did Mississippi State catch wind that he was interested in a promotion, and wanted to get ahead of the market? That is a conspiracy theory, but one that would make sense to me. As like Elander, some guys prefer to coach ball, and I would put Coach Hobbs in that category. But if he is open to a step up, Mississippi State would be foolish to not entertain it.

Justin Parker, Interim Head Coach/Pitching Coach Mississippi State: While Diamond Dawg fans might want nothing to do with the previous regime, Coach Parker would be a fantastic hire. We are pretty well connected within the pitching development community, and every single person we have talked to has put him on the short list of “godfathers” in pitching development. The proof is evident in his success during such a short time in Starkville. The immediate improvement of the pitching staff is one of the major resources for the program’s success in 2024. The administration knows that better than anyone, which is why firing Lemonis the year after a Regional Final might make some sense. People close to that program will know for certain whether he can succeed as a head coach or not, and that will determine his candidacy. 

Max Weiner, Pitching Coach Texas: The hottest name in college baseball the last two seasons has to be a name to know, right? Weiner left professional baseball to join Coach Schlossnagle at A&M last season, and immediately solidified himself as one of the top assistant coaches in the country. That success has translated immediately in his first season in Austin. Weiner is the future of the sport, but what we do not know is what his goals are. Does he want to be an MLB pitching coach rather than a college skipper? At just 30 years old, I envision Mississippi State will want someone with more experience, but he has shown impressive success and maturity at every one of his stops. I think it would be a risk worth entertaining, but with other options, I don’t see it happening.