Following a season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ole Miss Baseball head coach Mike Bianco was named the 2020 National Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball.
When the season was cancelled back in mid-March, Bianco’s Rebels had an overall record of 16-1, which was tied for the best record in the nation. Their lone loss of the season came on opening day to #1 Louisville before the team went on a 16-game winning streak – the longest in college baseball this year and one win short of the program record.
At the “end” of the shortened season, the Rebels led the nation in home runs with 37 and ranked inside the top 10 in slugging percentage (3rd), runs scored per game (3rd), total runs scored (5th) and walks drawn (7th).
Three Rebels— 3B Tyler Keenan, SS Anthony Servideo and LHP Doug Nikhazy—were honored as All-Americans in 2020.
Bianco becomes the first Rebel head coach to be named National Coach of the Year. He also joins Tom Swayze and Jake Gibbs as the only Rebel baseball coaches to earn year-end honors.
Bianco entered the season, his 20th at the helm of Rebel baseball, in the final year of his contract, but Ole Miss AD Keith Carter recently stated on SportsTalk Mississippi that the two sides are working toward a new deal to keep the program’s all-time wins leader in Oxford.
“We have been looking at his contract and I think we are really close to finalizing something that he is going to be really happy with, we’re going to be really happy with, and hopefully it’s going to keep Coach Bianco here for a long, long time,” Carter said on May 29.
While the deal has not been formally announced, Rebel Grove’s Chase Parham reported that the deal will extend Bianco’s contract for four years – the maximum length allowed by state law.
