The more names that are mentioned ..

[preachermatt83]

..for baseball coach the more excited I get! There is literally an exciting aspect to every single one of them. Elander is gonna be an absolute star. You can?t pass on OConner if he wants it. Butch has super low buyout. No way I pay a big buyout for mingione. He?d be one of the last on my list personally. But even he has his positives. Vaughn would be low but he has some positives as well. But man everyone else mentioned is at minimum a homerun. There are a couple mentioned that are going to be grand slams if we can get em.

[Todd4State]

I don't know that we will go hard after Butch and I have a feeling if we did Cohen would do whatever it took to keep him.

[KB21]

I don't know that we will go hard after Butch and I have a feeling if we did Cohen would do whatever it took to keep him.

Then we should 100% force him to pay up to keep Butch. Same as we should force Georgia to increase what they are paying Wes Johnson a year after they gave him a new contract.

[TNDawg35]

I just don’t get the love for Mingione and Butch. I would rather have Elander or Coggin before either.

[Thick]

I just don’t get the love for Mingione and Butch. I would rather have Elander or Coggin before either.

I?m agree.

[KB21]

I just don’t get the love for Mingione and Butch. I would rather have Elander or Coggin before either.

I get it. Their records do not stand out in the SEC. Mingione has won 47.8% of his SEC games to this point. That's actually better than Cohen's record at Kentucky, which was 45.4% of his games. Gary Henderson was at 43.8%.

However, Butch has gotten Auburn to Omaha twice during his tenure, and it had been years since Auburn made the Omaha field prior to Butch. Nick is also the coach that took Kentucky to its first CWS. The general feeling by some is that they would do even better at Mississippi State because of how we fund baseball vs those two programs.

[KB21]

I'll add this. Those of you/us who want the high energy coach with an edge, you will have a hard time finding one who has more energy and coaches with more of an edge than Nick Mingione. Now, I do have some questions about him though, and I do wonder how much of his recent success at Kentucky is actually due to Will Coggin's ability to evaluate talent.

[Pancho]

coggin and Amaratti sure did aid Minge

[Saltydog]

Then we should 100% force him to pay up to keep Butch. Same as we should force Georgia to increase what they are paying Wes Johnson a year after they gave him a new contract.

Yeah, let's do that. All that does is drive up what's it's going to cost us to pay a coach.........

[CaptainObvious]

I get it. Their records do not stand out in the SEC. Mingione has won 47.8% of his SEC games to this point. That's actually better than Cohen's record at Kentucky, which was 45.4% of his games. Gary Henderson was at 43.8%.

However, Butch has gotten Auburn to Omaha twice during his tenure, and it had been years since Auburn made the Omaha field prior to Butch. Nick is also the coach that took Kentucky to its first CWS. The general feeling by some is that they would do even better at Mississippi State because of how we fund baseball vs those two programs.

Both Auburn and Kentucky have some really good looking true Freshmen playing everyday. Is it because of Butch and Nick great recruiting or were they destined to play at Auburn and Lexington? I like to look at where the young guys that are very talented come from to see if they are choosing based on best offer or they have their pick and choose. Example: Duke and Wake not previously known for baseball all of a sudden recruits at same level as NC and Virginia. Louisville wasn't all that until McDonnell. Some of the directional Carolina teams have been fairly successful at baseball over the years based on such a hotbed in that triad of NC/SC/East GA.

[bulldogcountry1]

I just don’t get the love for Mingione and Butch. I would rather have Elander or Coggin before either.

Me either. If you have ever watched UK play in person, you see all the bush league things he does to try to get some advantage. On top of that, they bunt. A lot. It?s no accident they have 50 fans at a home game.

[Coursesuper]

Me either. If you have ever watched UK play in person, you see all the bush league things he does to try to get some advantage. On top of that, they bunt. A lot. It?s no accident they have 50 fans at a home game.

Bush League is the perfect description of that guy.

[TALL DAWG]

Well, truth be known, they?ve always had 50 fans at games.
Last year UK won like 22 sec games and went to Omaha

[Coach34]

Bush League is the perfect description of that guy.

hiring a Clown would be dumb

[Coach34]

Well, truth be known, they?ve always had 50 fans at games.
Last year UK won like 22 sec games and went to Omaha

They also have fewer wins than us this year and we fired our HC

[Jarius]

coggin and Amaratti sure did aid Minge

Yea I wouldn’t touch Minge. His record with and without those 2 is alarmingly different.

[Coach34]

Clown Show 0-2 in StarkVegas so far

[Homedawg]

I'll add this. Those of you/us who want the high energy coach with an edge, you will have a hard time finding one who has more energy and coaches with more of an edge than Nick Mingione. Now, I do have some questions about him though, and I do wonder how much of his recent success at Kentucky is actually due to Will Coggin's ability to evaluate talent.

Guess you loved bunting the dh in the 4 hole w runner on second. Then did it w two strikes. Dumb net dumber

[Homedawg]

Clown Show 0-2 in StarkVegas so far

This

[Coach34]

Hiring Clown as baseball coach to kill the baseball program would be like hiring Leach to kill the football program

[Todd4State]

Both Auburn and Kentucky have some really good looking true Freshmen playing everyday. Is it because of Butch and Nick great recruiting or were they destined to play at Auburn and Lexington? I like to look at where the young guys that are very talented come from to see if they are choosing based on best offer or they have their pick and choose. Example: Duke and Wake not previously known for baseball all of a sudden recruits at same level as NC and Virginia. Louisville wasn't all that until McDonnell. Some of the directional Carolina teams have been fairly successful at baseball over the years based on such a hotbed in that triad of NC/SC/East GA.

Wake Forest hired an elite pitching coach who somehow got them to build a pitching lab and hire elite people to manage it.

Pollard is a really good recruiter and developer of talent who uses analytics and tech despite having high school baseball facilities and also has a staff member with deep connections to Perfect Game for recruiting.

[ScottH]

having high school baseball facilities.

I was at Duke a few weeks ago, there is some but not much hyperbole in the above.

I was shocked. One small covered grandstand. Concession trailers . Toilet trailers.

Delta State equals or exceeds them.

[HoopsDawg]

Wake Forest hired an elite pitching coach who somehow got them to build a pitching lab and hire elite people to manage it.

Pollard is a really good recruiter and developer of talent who uses analytics and tech despite having high school baseball facilities and also has a staff member with deep connections to Perfect Game for recruiting.

Pollard's latest signing class at Duke has more Top 100 players than any school in the country except LSU, Texas, and Tennessee. Incredible.

[Todd4State]

I was at Duke a few weeks ago, there is some but not much hyperbole in the above.

I was shocked. One small covered grandstand. Concession trailers . Toilet trailers.

Delta State equals or exceeds them.


Pollard's latest signing class at Duke has more Top 100 players than any school in the country except LSU, Texas, and Tennessee. Incredible.

Yeah! And it's crazy because we have fans that are like "yeah but he has the same record there as Lemonis."

One guy did it with the equivalent of a Harley Davidson.

The other is doing it with a Moped.

[Pinto]

Perfect Game connections is what got us into the current situation. Coaches looking for analytics and easy recruiting and not finding out who (the person) they really were recruiting. We need dirtbags with some dawg in them.

[EdwardDrayton]

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

[Homedawg]

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

No. He's not.

[KOdawg1]

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

We aren't paying that buyout.

You better be elite if we're gonna dish out that kind of money and he is not that.

[Thick]

Rooney said today on the broadcast that he was surprised at UK?s ?success?, but was impressed with the freshmen contributions to this team?s success. It all comes back to Ming?s approach, bc they don?t a lot of power (hr). His approach is like Cohen at the plate, and I agree. They hug the plate, hit by pitch, walk, and aggressive on the base paths.

[EdwardDrayton]

We aren't paying that buyout.

You better be elite if we're gonna dish out that kind of money and he is not that.

Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

Update:
OK, finally found his contract extension from a few months ago. He would owe Kentucky the remaining four years if he takes another coaching job, making the buyout $6 million. Unless Mitch Barnhart is no longer there, then the buyout would be half of that or $3 million. Wow. The Gus Malzahn of baseball contracts.

He ain't leaving Kentucky even if he wanted to. So, no, from a money standpoint, he's not a viable candidate. Wonder how many other candidates on our list are problematic from a buyout perspective.

2025 $1.175 million
2026 $1.275
2027 $1.375
2028 $1.575
2029 $1.775

[EdwardDrayton]

No. He's not.

Yes. He is. We can do this all day but it's pointless.

Update: You're right from a money standpoint. My statement was as a viable head coach baseball wise. But I found his extension from a few months ago and his buyout is insane. Kentucky better hope he lives up to his potential.

[KOdawg1]

Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

Kendall Rodgers, Robbie Faulk, Steve Robertson, and pretty much anyone else who can do simple math.

It's over $6 million. That $700,000 must be his old salary because he's making $1.1 now

[KOdawg1]

Yes. He is. We can do this all day but it's pointless.

Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

[Really Clark?]

Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

He was extended to $1.175 MIL this season and increases every year until 2029 to $1.775 MIL. If he leaves, he owes full amount of the contract as his buyout unless Barnhart is no longer the AD, he would owe only half then.

[Todd4State]

Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

Nor should he be.

[EdwardDrayton]

Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

Yeah. My statement was as a viable head coach from a baseball perspective. Found the extension right before you posted. So he's definitely not viable from a money perspective. Wonder how many other candidates are problematic money wise. I'm blown away Kentucky gave him that kind of security.

[EdwardDrayton]

You folks close to the program seem to have predispositions towards him. What's the story.

[EdwardDrayton]

Kendall Rodgers, Robbie Faulk, Steve Robertson, and pretty much anyone else who can do simple math.

It's over $6 million. That $700,000 must be his old salary because he's making $1.1 now

Edited KO. My bad. Misread it and took it originally as a dig.

[Todd4State]

You folks close to the program seem to have predispositions towards him. What's the story.

He's a goofball. It's unprofessional. I don't mind having fun. His teams act like softball teams. Or worse. It's over the top. And then his style of play is more suited for a mid major in California- not a SEC blueblood.

When he was our hitting coach we weren't that great. And it got better as soon as he left and we replaced him with Coggin.

If we wanted a watered down version of the Savannah Bananas and tons of small ball he would be our top guy.

But we don't want that. And hell he just got his ass swept by a team with no coach. So what's the appeal?

[Coach34]

Clown's total package is around 1.4 per now. Makes more than Lemon did

Just like we have our Bulldog Foundation- other schools have these as well to supplement salary.

[EdwardDrayton]

He's a goofball. It's unprofessional. I don't mind having fun. His teams act like softball teams. Or worse. It's over the top. And then his style of play is more suited for a mid major in California- not a SEC blueblood.

When he was our hitting coach we weren't that great. And it got better as soon as he left and we replaced him with Coggin.

If we wanted a watered down version of the Savannah Bananas and tons of small ball he would be our top guy.

But we don't want that. And hell he just got his ass swept by a team with no coach. So what's the appeal?

Using the team's lack of success this weekend is a weak premise but I get the rest. Obviously Kentucky feels he's worthy of pretty close to top ten money. But no point in wrestling pro and con at this juncture given the Gus Malzahn of baseball buyout number. Hopefully other candidates don't have the same money obstacle.

[Thick]

We?ve seen Ming?s approach via Cohen to an extent. We?re better than that in my opinion. We can recruit better talent then UK, and that was obvious by this weekend. Don?t get me wrong, they have talent, but to be a top program in the SEC/NCAA his approach is not viable year in and year out to compete at a high level on the reg! I think Todd pointed this out in an earlier post.

[EdwardDrayton]

We?ve seen Ming?s approach via Cohen to an extent. We?re better than that in my opinion. We can recruit better talent then UK, and that was obvious by this weekend. Don?t get me wrong, they have talent, but to be a top program in the SEC/NCAA his approach is not viable year in and year out to compete at a high level on the reg! I think Todd pointed this out in an earlier post.

He would be recruiting talent to Mississippi State though. That would improve the talent he's able to get. It feels like he did not make friends with everyone when he was in Starkville which is irrelevant to his coaching ability. But the insane buyout number makes this all a pointless discussion. On to the other candidates.

[CaptainObvious]

Using the team's lack of success this weekend is a weak premise but I get the rest. Obviously Kentucky feels he's worthy of pretty close to top ten money. But no point in wrestling pro and con at this juncture given the Gus Malzahn of baseball buyout number. Hopefully other candidates don't have the same money obstacle.

Even if his buyout was $5000, he should not be a viable HC candidate for THE MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY! Just like Lemonis in 19 & 21, he found a horseshoe up his butt last year and made Omaha! He ain't making it this year and the only way he holds onto those really good Freshmen next year is if UK is either their Dream school or UK has started redshirting Miss America Candidates!

State CAN and MUST do better than Nick Mingione!

[The Federalist Engineer]

If I were Mingione I would not take the MSU job. He makes 1.4M in Kentucky and he can Win the SEC Conference and make Omaha up there. If he can hire and retain good HCs and PCs up there, he can keep that job forever. If he Comes to Starkville he has the Mayberry Mafia to deal with. Starkville and Oxford are full of chip on shoulder fans that will not tolerate what Lexington will accept.

If I were Butch, I don't take the Job either. He is now Mr. Auburn baseball and if JC likes him, the situation is swell. They don't care enough about baseball to make his life hard and he has made 2 Omahas. He is recruiting super well and he was impressive in the portal, even after a very bad year. He makes a top SEC salary too. He was 8-22 last year in the SEC.

Wes Johnson is paid about 300K less than his worth, my estimate, and if he makes Omaha. He will go from 700k to 1M at least, unless Kendall Rogers rumors can bump him even more. MSU should force this raise just to slight dent 500k from UGA's vast and limitless war chest. That two NFL Draft OL's worth in NIL, or maybe just one.