The Virginia baseball team missed the NCAA Tournament field this spring, falling just barely on the wrong side of the selection bubble. That’s the least of Hoo fan worries now, though.
Reports this week have pushed long-time coach Brian O’Connor to the top of Mississippi State’s wish list to lead its program. Baseball America even released an article with the headline “Brian O’Connor Favorite To Land Mississippi State Head Baseball Coach Job” on Thursday. The Bulldogs’ known interest in O’Connor is not new with The Daily Progress reporting via an article in early May that “Brian O'Connor dispels MSU rumors, is eager for UVA's future” as its headline.
Beyond those reports, social media and other conversations point to resources for the Virginia baseball program as a critical piece of the story.
With the House settlement still not finalized, but expected to arrive in some form, there will be a changed landscape across college sports. For baseball, that includes roster limits and allowed scholarships. Under old rules, programs could offer up to 11.7 full scholarships, which could be divided among players. Under new proposed guidelines, the roster limit would be set to 34 players but all would be allowed to receive full scholarships.
That leaves it up to schools to decide how many scholarships to fund. Some SEC schools are expected to fund at least 25 scholarships. That number was initially lower at UVA, believed to be near 20 based on a reported Zoom call this spring. Since then, O’Connor has said the situation at Virginia will be much improved, but specific details on that are not clear. Other budget issues could be at play too, from facility needs to travel budgets to other revenue-sharing details.
O’Connor signed a contract extension last year that pushed his salary into the top 10 for college baseball so salary specifically may not be the focal point. David Teel, now with The Virginian-Pilot, reported last year that Craig Littlepage, the former Virginia Director of Athletics, recounted instances where O’Connor turned down raises in the past in order to give raises to his coaching staff. That same article also quoted O’Connor as praising the investments the program has received over time from the school:
“I am forever grateful to Craig Littlepage and Jon Oliver and Jane Miller - Jane was my direct boss - because, and this is pretty rare in this world anymore, [they] actually lived up to what they told me they were going to do. And [current athletic director] Carla Williams has continued that commitment.”
Will Virginia be able to sustain that type of relationship and keep O’Connor with other schools regularly interested in hiring him? That’s one of the challenges facing schools as the House settlement, revenue sharing, and more raise financial needs across the board for athletic departments. It’s really easy to see why UVA - and fans for certain - would want O’Connor to stay with the Hoos. O’Connor has led Virginia to seven College World Series appearances and the 2015 National Championship. He’s won 913 games as the head coach of the Wahoos with a 69.9% winning rate. Hoo fans hope the march to 1,000 continues in Charlottesville.
Join conversations on the Sabre baseball message board to follow along.
Fan(s) Of The Week
Heading into the stadium to cheer on the Hoos.
Student Fan(s) Of The Week
Go Hoos!
Feature Photo Of The Week
UVA cheerleaders support the Wahoos all year long.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!