Ole Miss baseball announces Mike Bianco contract extension amid LSU coaching search rumors

OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco signed on to remain in Oxford.

Bianco, who has been the coach at Ole Miss for 21 seasons, agreed to a contract extension that was announced Sunday night by the school. Bianco, 54, is once again under contract for four years, the maximum number of years allowed for public employees in Mississippi. 

Bianco's name had been connected to the coaching vacancy at LSU, his alma mater.  The Daily Advertiser reported Bianco interviewed for the LSU job this week but was not offered the job.

“Ole Miss is home for me and my family, and I am committed to bringing championships to Oxford," Bianco said in a statement. "I’m proud of what we have accomplished over the past 21 years, and I look forward to building on that foundation and achieving new levels of success. I want to thank Rebel Nation for their unmatched support, year in and year out, and how they help make Swayze Field the greatest experience in baseball.”

Bianco led Ole Miss to a loss in the Tucson Super Regional last Sunday, finishing one win shy of a College World Series berth. Bianco has led Ole Miss to seven super regional appearances since 2005 but his Rebels are 1-6 in those series with the lone win leading to a College World Series appearance in 2014. Ole Miss is 1-5 in winner-take-all super regional third games under Bianco's tenure.

That said, Bianco is the winningest coach in Ole Miss history and the third-winningest coach in SEC history behind Ron Polk and Skip Bertman. Ole Miss has appeared in 17 NCAA Tournaments in Bianco's 21 seasons compared to seven appearances total in the century before Bianco's arrival.

“Mike Bianco is our head coach, and with his contract extended to the maximum four years, we look forward to seeing him lead Ole Miss to new heights," Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said in a statement. "We understand that the consistent success of our program will generate interest from other schools, and with any coach, there can be personal factors that come into play. Mike and I have been in constant contact and have been able to privately sort fact from fiction. Our program is poised to take the next step toward success in Omaha, and we believe Coach Bianco is the right person to guide us there.”

SOURCE: Suss, Nick. "Ole Miss baseball announces Mike Bianco contract extension amid LSU coaching search rumors." Mississippi Clarion Ledger, 20 June 2021, https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2021/06/20/mike-bianco-ole-miss-baseball-contract-extension-lsu-vacancy-rumors/7766683002

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.