From blockbuster hires to smart extensions and under-the-radar staff changes, the 2025 college baseball offseason featured no shortage of impactful coaching moves. Whether it was Mississippi State landing a championship-winning head coach, UCLA doubling down on its homegrown model or a series of quietly savvy mid-major additions, these 15 decisions stood out as some of the most intriguing—and potentially program-altering—of the summer.

Mississippi State Hires Brian O’Connor From Virginia

When Mississippi State parted ways with Chris Lemonis—less than five years removed from winning a national championship—it signaled the start of the most high-profile coaching search of the 2025 offseason. The decision underscored the heightened expectations in Starkville, where patience is short and the standard remains Omaha or bust. In turn, Mississippi State landed its top target in Brian O’Connor, pulling the longtime Virginia skipper from Charlottesville in a blockbuster hire that sent shockwaves through the sport. 

O’Connor led the Cavaliers to seven College World Series appearances since 2004, including a national title in 2015, and earned five ACC Coach of the Year honors during a dominant early stretch. Three of his last five teams reached Omaha, a testament to his sustained excellence. His arrival brought immediate dividends: an elite transfer class, several former Virginia stars and high school flamethrower Jack Bauer, whose fastball has touched 103 mph. 

This was the offseason’s marquee move. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 4 in BA’s Way Too Early 2026 Top 25.

Virginia Hires Chris Pollard From Duke

Losing a national championship-winning coach is a significant blow under any circumstances—especially in an era when college baseball salaries are ballooning and top-tier replacements can be hard to secure. So when Brian O’Connor left for Mississippi State, Virginia faced a pivotal moment. Its response was swift and strong: hiring Chris Pollard away from Duke in a move that positioned the Cavaliers for continued national relevance. 

Pollard departed as Duke’s all-time wins leader and the mastermind behind the most successful stretch in program history. When he took over in 2013, the Blue Devils hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament in more than 50 years. Under his leadership, they reached seven regionals and four super regionals in the ACC gauntlet.

Pollard also brought a major chunk of Duke’s core with him to Charlottesville, including star outfielder AJ Gracia—Baseball America’s top-ranked transfer—and impact players like Kyle Johnson, Henry Zatkowski and Max Stammel, among others. Virginia slotted in at No. 9 in BA’s Way Too Early 2026 rankings.

Duke Hires Wake Forest Pitching Coach Corey Muscara

In the wake of Brian O’Connor’s departure from Virginia and Chris Pollard’s exit from Duke, all parties landed on their feet—including the Blue Devils, who made a strong hire in Wake Forest pitching coach Corey Muscara. Tasked with filling the massive shoes left by Pollard, Muscara brings elite credentials and a clear identity: pitching development at the highest level.

During his time at Wake Forest, Muscara helped engineer one of the most dominant pitching staffs in recent college baseball history. In 2023, the Demon Deacons led the nation in ERA (2.83), WHIP (1.05), hits allowed per nine (6.59), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.26) and strikeouts per nine (12.1), while also topping the ACC in shutouts and walks allowed per nine. Four of his pitchers—Rhett Lowder, Sean Sullivan, Seth Keener and Josh Hartle—posted the lowest ERAs in the ACC. A year later, Muscara mentored now-major-leaguer Chase Burns.

Muscara’s track record of building deep, balanced staffs gives Duke a real chance to maintain national relevance despite the challenges of limited resources and high academic barriers.

Dayton Hires Jayson King From Vanderbilt

Following the resignation of head coach Scott Loiseau—who joined Corey Muscara’s staff at Duke—Dayton looked to a familiar name to lead its program forward. The Flyers rehired former head coach Jayson King after a one-year stint as an assistant at Vanderbilt, where he helped guide the Commodores to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament and an SEC Championship.

King previously served as Dayton’s head coach for seven seasons, amassing 165 wins and building a program that consistently contended in the Atlantic 10. Under his leadership, the Flyers reached the A-10 Championship four times and played in the title game twice. His tenure also produced four MLB Draft picks, a reflection of both his development acumen and eye for talent.

Bringing King back provides stability, familiarity and a proven track record. Those are all valuable traits as Dayton looks to build momentum in a competitive mid-major landscape.

Bradley Hires Justin Dedman From LMU

For the first time in nearly 20 years, Bradley has a new head coach. Following the retirement of longtime skipper Elvis Dominguez after the 2025 season, the university turned to Loyola Marymount assistant Justin Dedman to become just the sixth head coach in program history. It’s an intriguing hire for a program looking to regain its footing. Bradley hasn’t posted a winning season since 2019 or reached a regional since its lone appearance in 2015.

Dedman spent the past two seasons as LMU’s recruiting coordinator and previously served as director of player development at Missouri, where he contributed to a resurgent offense and a 30-win campaign, which still stands as the Tigers’ best since winning 34 games in 2019. Over his career, Dedman has helped develop 34 draft selections and built a reputation as a savvy recruiter with strong relationship skills and a keen eye for undervalued talent. His arrival marks a fresh start for a program hungry to return to relevance in the Missouri Valley Conference.

UCLA Extends John Savage

After a College World Series return and a share of the Big Ten title, UCLA wasted no time extending head coach John Savage for three more years and giving him a well-earned raise, cementing the architect of its modern golden age. The Bruins enter 2026 as Baseball America’s Way Too Early No. 1 team and bring back the bulk of a roster that reestablished the program as a national power.

Headlining that group is Roch Cholowsky, the All-America shortstop and Baseball America’s College Player of the Year—the first non-draft-eligible winner since 2013. Fellow All-American Mulivai Levu returns as well, along with nearly the entire offensive core, the full weekend rotation and several key bullpen pieces. UCLA also added former Texas outfielder Will Gasparino, an early-round draft talent, via the portal.

In an era of constant roster churn, Savage has managed to build and sustain through high school development and timely additions. With this extension, UCLA doubles down on its winning formula and a serious shot at its first national title since 2013.

Auburn Extends Butch Thompson

After a 41-win season and a near-miss of the College World Series, Auburn doubled down on its baseball momentum by extending head coach Butch Thompson through 2031. The deal includes the potential for two additional rollover years tied to NCAA Tournament appearances that could carry the deal through 2033. The new six-year contract includes a base salary of $1.5 million, with performance incentives built in to elevate the total compensation.

Auburn’s commitment to sustained success didn’t end with Thompson. The university also increased its assistant coaching salary pool and issued new two-year deals to all assistants, including Karl Nonemaker, Gabe Gross and Everett Teaford. With a roster stacked with young talent and a coaching staff now secured long term, Auburn is positioning itself for a continued push toward national title contention. The Tigers this offseason showed they’re intent on staying in that conversation with Thompson at the helm.

Northeastern Extends Mike Glavine

When Baseball America polled coaches ahead of the NCAA Tournament, Northeastern was a popular pick as the most underrated team in the field—and for good reason. The Huskies entered regionals riding a 37-1 run dating back to mid-March and had just completed the winningest season in program history. While their postseason run fell short, the momentum around Mike Glavine’s program was undeniable.

In early August, Glavine agreed to a new five-year deal, securing one of the mid-major ranks’ most respected coaches. Under his leadership, Northeastern has built a national reputation for finding and developing overlooked northeast talent, regularly producing rosters capable of competing with Power Four programs.

As athletic departments increasingly shy away from big buyouts in baseball, this extension provides vital stability for a coach whose name often surfaces in coaching searches. For Northeastern, it’s a strong move to ensure continued success in an evolving landscape.

Murray State Extends Dan Skirka

Murray State followed up the most remarkable season in program history the right way by extending head coach Dan Skirka with a new four-year deal. Skirka led the Racers to their first-ever College World Series appearance, engineering a Cinderella run that included stunning eliminations of Ole Miss and Duke.

Skirka built his roster with a group of misfits and overlooked talents, blending Power 4 transfers and junior college standouts into a cohesive, motivated unit. That sense of belonging fueled one of the most memorable postseason stories of 2025.

While Cinderella runs are often followed by regression, the Missouri Valley Conference remains wide open and the league’s single NCAA Tournament bid still runs through the conference tournament. With Skirka at the helm and stability secured, Murray State is positioned to contend again for that elusive auto-bid and remain a threat to crash the national stage.

Vanderbilt Hires Program Alum Jason Esposito

Vanderbilt turned to one of its own to help spark its offense, hiring program alum Jason Esposito as an assistant coach. A standout for the Commodores from 2009–11, Esposito helped lead Vanderbilt to its first College World Series appearance and hit .335 with six home runs and 55 RBIs as a junior before being drafted in the third round by the Orioles.

He returns to Nashville after eight seasons in the Cleveland Guardians organization, most recently serving as the MLB club’s assistant hitting coach. That professional experience and familiarity with the program’s expectations under Tim Corbin make him a strong candidate to help revive a lineup that has lagged in the power department in recent seasons.

Vanderbilt remains one of the sport’s premier programs, but a more potent offense could elevate it back to championship form. Esposito’s arrival brings both familiarity and fresh perspective at a pivotal time.

Wake Forest Nabs Eric Niesen From the Astros

After losing one of the nation’s top pitching minds in Corey Muscara, Wake Forest responded with firepower of its own, bringing back former standout Eric Niesen from the Houston Astros. Niesen, who pitched for the Demon Deacons before a long run in professional baseball, returns to Winston-Salem after serving as the Astros’ Director of Pitching.

During his time in Houston, Niesen played a central role in shaping the organization’s pitching development philosophy across all levels. He was part of the Astros’ 2022 World Series title and their 2024 Triple-A championship with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. His résumé includes developing MLB arms like Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, Colton Gordon and Ryan Gusto, while helping the Astros build a farm system that now supplies over 57% of their Major League roster.

From 2022–24, Houston’s minor league staffs ranked top 10 in strikeout rate each year. Wake Forest replaced an elite developer with another—one who brings both credibility and championship experience.

Oklahoma State Snags Oregon Assistant Blake Hawksworth

Oklahoma State added a seasoned and versatile baseball mind to its staff by hiring Oregon assistant Blake Hawksworth. A former big league pitcher and MLB agent, Hawksworth brings more than two decades of experience in professional and collegiate baseball. His coaching résumé includes stops at Cal State Fullerton, Grand Canyon and UC Irvine, and he’s developed 15 MLB Draft picks and 10 all-conference selections.

During his two-year stint at Oregon, the Ducks went 82-36 with two regional appearances and a Super Regional berth. In 2025, Oregon’s staff posted a 4.10 ERA and held opponents to a .219 batting average. The Ducks led the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (7.1), ranked fourth in shutouts and ninth in WHIP.

With Omaha the long-standing goal in Stillwater, Hawksworth’s addition gives Oklahoma State a fresh perspective and a proven developer to help steady and elevate its pitching corps.

Oregon Replaces Hawksworth With San Diego Assistant Matt Florer

Following Blake Hawksworth’s departure to Oklahoma State, Oregon turned to the West Coast to fill its pitching coach vacancy, hiring San Diego associate head coach Matt Florer. Florer spent the past seven seasons with the Toreros, serving as both pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, and was promoted to associate head coach for the final two. He began his collegiate coaching career at Loyola Marymount, his alma mater, in 2017.

Across eight seasons in the West Coast Conference, Florer’s pitching staffs consistently delivered results. His teams won either the regular season or conference tournament in 2017, 2022, 2024 and 2025, led the league in ERA three times and produced two WCC Pitchers of the Year. Eight of his pitchers earned first-team All-WCC honors.

In 2025, San Diego claimed its second straight WCC title behind a dominant pitching staff headlined by WCC Pitcher of the Year Cal Scolari and first-teamers Logan Reddemann and Austin Smith. Oregon gains a proven developer with a winning track record and no shortage of regional knowledge.

Illinois State Hires Dodgers Scout David Pearson

Illinois State made a smart move in hiring David Pearson as its new hitting coach. A former longtime assistant at North Dakota State with recent experience as the Upper Midwest scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pearson brings a blend of college savvy and professional development insight from one of MLB’s premier organizations.

The Redbirds are expected to contend in the Missouri Valley in 2026, and Pearson’s arrival could help push them back into the NCAA Tournament—an elusive goal in recent years, especially following significant talent losses to the Power 4 via the transfer portal.

Texas A&M Hires Cliff Pennington From Dallas Baptist

Pennington returns to Texas A&M with deep roots and a proven track record. A former All-America selection and three-time All-Big 12 honoree for the Aggies from 2003-05, Pennington also served on A&M’s coaching staff in 2020 and 2021. He now reenters the fold after four successful seasons as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Dallas Baptist, where he helped lead the Patriots to a 167-73-1 record, four regional appearances and two Conference USA titles.

Pennington played a central role in building one of the nation’s top offenses at DBU. In 2024 and 2025, the Patriots ranked inside the top 25 nationally in home runs, slugging percentage, doubles and fielding percentage, all while leading the country in double plays and swiping 412 total bases across his four seasons.

Texas A&M is coming off a disastrous 2025 campaign, becoming the first preseason No. 1 to miss the NCAA Tournament since the 90s. The pressure is on, and Pennington has a chance to be part of the solution.