Brian O'Connor Reminisces On His Time With Virginia Baseball 'I Am Forever Grateful for All The Support'

On Sunday night, the news broke that long-time Virginia Baseball head coach Brian O'Connor was going to leave to take the head coaching job at Mississippi State, leaving Charlottesville after 22 seasons as the head coach.

O'Connor was introduced to the media yesterday and before he talked about why he took the job in Starkville, he started his press conference by thanking the University of Virginia and reminiscing on his time as the Cavaliers head coach:

"Hey listen, I know we're scheduled to jump right to questions, right? Certainly the event out there, it was a celebration and an announcement, right? It wasn't intended to talk about the past, all right? But so before I answer questions, I want to talk about the past and why I'm here, all right? 22 years ago, the athletic director at the University of Virginia decided to take a chance on a 32-year-old never-been head coach. And I'm forever grateful to Craig Littlepage for providing me that opportunity. And as the 22 years passed, we had so much success on the field, in the classroom, right? And the donors at the University of Virginia, the fans, it just kept growing and growing and growing to levels that maybe nobody ever thought that it would, right? And I'm incredibly proud of that and thankful for those 32 years, or I'm sorry, 22 years of everybody that immersed themselves in that baseball program. Players, fans, donors, right? And then Craig Littlepage stepped down and Carla Williams took over as the athletic director. And with her guidance and support, our program at Virginia during that time continued to elevate. And that was evident out of three out of the last four years, that program going to Omaha. So I haven't had the opportunity to thank the fans and all the support and everybody involved at the University of Virginia, but I am forever grateful for all the support that was there for that baseball program, right? And I had written a letter to all those fans and those donors and former players and Carla Williams will release that letter thanking all those people, right? That meant, that mean everything to me and that poured resources and their time and everything going on with a program for it to be at the nation's elite. So I would be remiss if I didn't start off by showing my gratefulness for the last 22 years and what that program means, all right? And what their opportunities are moving forward. So I'm honored to be the baseball coach at Mississippi State and I'm excited to work with you all in the future."

UVA athletic director Carla Williams released a statement earlier this week on the departure of O'Connor:

"We are extremely grateful for Coach Brian O'Connor for his 22 years of outstanding leadership and service not only to our baseball program but to the University and Charlottesville communities. He established Virginia Baseball as the model for everything important to this community, including his incredible development of young men on and off the field and his commitment to integrity, hard work, and academics. Coach O'Connor built a national championship program and that legacy is driving very strong interest in the position. We are indebted to him and his family for their dedication to the University of Virginia. Our national search began moments after he informed me of his decision on Sunday evening and we are making significant progress. With the tremendous support from our donors and our fans over the last two decades, we look forward to hiring a head coach that will build upon the excellence that already exists and continue competing for championships."

It will be interesting to see how quickly this job gets filled. There are a number of players already hitting the transfer portal and a number of coaches from O'Connor's staff who are leaving for Mississippi State. It should be a coveted job around the country, but the timing is going to be something to watch going forward.