Mississippi State University fired Baseball Coach Chris Lemonis today.
The Bulldogs record is 27-14 and 7-14 in the SEC. Pitching Coach Justin Parker assumed the Interim Coach position.
MSU Athletic Director Zachary Selmon issued the following statement:A change in leadership is what's best for the future of Mississippi State Baseball," 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. We appreciate his efforts and wish him and his family all the best moving forward.
Update: Mississippi State University issued the following statement.
Mississippi State Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced Monday that Chris Lemonis has been relieved of his duties as head baseball coach effective immediately. Lemonis was in his seventh season as the Bulldogs’ head coach. A national search to identify the program’s next head coach is underway. Assistant coach Justin Parker will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. “A change in leadership is what’s best for the future of Mississippi State Baseball,” 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. We appreciate his efforts and wish him and his family all the best moving forward. “In a team meeting moments ago, I expressed to our student-athletes the confidence we have in their abilities and the potential they have for the remainder of the season. I encouraged them to compete with pride, resilience, and intensity. With the hard work, preparation, and talent already within this group, we are committed to putting them in the best position to finish the season competing at the highest level. “Mississippi State is the premier job in college baseball. 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. We are one of only four programs in NCAA history to reach the College World Series in six consecutive decades. With 40 NCAA Tournament appearances, 12 trips to Omaha, 11 SEC regular season titles, and a national championship, 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.” Lemonis became State’s 18th head baseball coach on June 25, 2018, and was 232-135 in his six-plus seasons. He owns a 373-226-2 career record as a head coach. Prior to MSU, he went 141-91-2 as head coach at Indiana. Under Lemonis, MSU made three NCAA Tournaments (2019, 2021, 2024), two College World Series (2019, 2021) and won the 2021 national title.
42 comments:
Firing the man in 2025, who lead you to a national championship in 2021 is lunacy
He won that championship with Cannizaro's players. Since 2021 the team has been in a downward spiral. It's not lunacy.
Another millionaire coach fired. So sad.
Does a National Championship buy you a job for life?
2022 - missed post season
2023 - missed post season
2024 - lost in Regional on the road
2025 - 7-14 in SEC thru 7 series with not good OOC wins (well on way to missing post season for 3rd time in 4th season)
Thanks for the Natty, but completely unacceptable since.
State's baseball program has been in a steady decline since that NC. Lemonis wasn't been able to build on that success. In an age of instant gratification, the NIL and transfer portal, it's time for somebody else to take the reins in Stark Vegas.
Keeping it real in the 'SIP!
Winners only.
No losers need apply.
The job of an athletic director is direction and MSU baseball is going in the wrong direction. It's tough but it's time.
Going three out of four seasons missing the postseason after winning a national championship is also lunacy.
Mark my words, coach will find success with another team before State finds success with another coach. He will be a hot commodity.
@ 3:06, Lamonis had recruited ZERO of those players who contributed to the CWS championship win. And BTW that team was so loaded with talent and so hot with momentum at that moment that an orangutan could've coached them to victory
@3:05 Tell me you don't follow college baseball without telling me you don't follow college baseball. I like Lemonis a lot, but it was past time. MSU was 30 games under .500 in conference since the championship he won with Cannizaro's players.
3:05 in football terms if Kirby smart preceded to go 3-9, 3-9, 8-5, and 4-8 after winning a title I'm sure Georgia would get him outta there.
Zelmon was on the hot seat....and still is.
You are right. He should have been fired in 2024.
MSU alum who was overjoyed I saw us win a NC during my lifetime and celebrated it, but the program was clearly headed downhill. I could forgive 2022 but by 2023 it was clear something was going on. A small reprieve last year followed by what was about to be another year home from the post-season means it was time.
Lemonis may find another job and be successful. The next MSU coach may not perform any better. However, it was time for a change. I wish him well and hope the Dogs find their man.
yet another soap opera for the beautiful people of the SEC.
3:05, you need you go to the kiddie table.
Anyone who has watched an MSU game in person, could see the decline in player talent and morale.
"Zelmon was on the hot seat....and still is."
You're right. He's all ears and better listen up!
Maybe MSU needs to face the new reality. 14 other SEC teams have discovered college baseball. You had it good for so long. You are no longer special.
Lemonis gets a nice buyout. The players enter the portal. State pays big bucks for new coaching staff. Fans pay up!
Well ... perhaps now, our Ag school can spend more money and energy on what they do best.
(Making some great cheese).
Lemonis took a talent-loaded team and won a national championship with them. If you win a natty, you should have some advantage in doing it again. But Lemonis did not get that far again, so obviously it was not the coach but the talent... and the program under his lead has deteriorated when it should have soared.
It’s all about the crappy AD……….
(Not a State fan)
Channeling the late Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards, perhaps he should have allowed to coach unless/until “caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy."
But in this era, schools have to get a lot of money to buy players and constantly upgrade facilities.
That money comes from donors.
And donors essentially fire coaches. It’s now virtually universal in college athletics.
It’s amazing how poorly MSU has done since NIL. I thought they would be in a similar position to Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri, and the like. The issue seems to be a double edged sword, the alumni base doesn’t have as much money to compete with other SEC schools and they have to pay players and coaches a premium to live in Starkville. I think they have to consider dropping football, it just eats up too many resources to compete with the big fish. They can have a team, just don’t spend a dime of NIL money there. If they focus on baseball and basketball, they could get a decent return on their money and have a good fan experience.
Selmon needs to go as well. He's a good portion of the problem. If his buddy Lebby has a rough year, he's gone.
Now that all of the keyboard warriors (waterboys) are happy who do you want as your next coach? If you could reach back and get Joe Torre in his prime you would still be where you are today. It's about $$$$$$ !
Time for you boys to step up and give until hurts and then give some more. It's about the players you buy not the coach you hire.
Let's not forget the national championship has an asterisks on it after the NCAA placed its thumb on the scale forcing a red hot NC State team out of the bracket final over BS Covid protocols.
NIL has destroyed college sports.
Zac sucks, he hates being in Mississippi so much that he changed the logo from Mississippi State to just "State". He is a DEI hire by Keenum who is also a huge liberal. And yeah, Lebby is not going to be able to win games, the NIL has ruined college sports and in 3-5 years it will be a ghost town in Starkville on home game weekends. It has always been hard to be a MSU fan, but this is a new low. I guess the only saving grace is that all these 40ish "homebuilders" in Starkville will have to come off their 250-300 dollar a foot premium prices cause no one will want to go watch the dogs loose another game after game. The Prescott/Mullens era is way over. Seriously, Zac really needs to go.
It’s humorous to see people complaining about the AD. He did not hire Lemonis or either basketball coach. The death of Leach and the timing of it resulted in terrible circumstances. When you add in NIL being added to the mix it will take several years to get the football program improved. Anyone thinking the football program should be back up where it was after two years is delusional.
I've heard thru some friends that he also has recruited several young men who aren't very good at being good men. Look for the team to make news soon because of these punks.
Lemon is gone.
"Mississippi State is the premier job in college baseball. 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."
Yeah, but they have to live in Starkville.
@9:19 I'm just curious, but are there any African-Americans or minorities who are not considered DEI hires, in your opinion? It seems like it's the low-hanging fruit whenever someone is unhappy, particularly with respect to Politics; now, it's a sports thing.
MSU is obsessed with baseball cuz they awful at football. Ole Miss lives in their head 24/7, 365.
MSU=no NIL money. Get ready for the Big10 top to take over college athletics.
Unfortunate don't know what the problem is but Baseball program has been inconsistent
ZERO confidence in MSU athletics right now. Current Athletic Director is not SEC-caliber, and not up to the job in this NIL-era. HAIL STATE deserves better than this Conference USA bullsh...
+100,000
Who is "Mullens" Mr. Know-it-all????
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