Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss has inked head baseball coach Mike Bianco to a contract extension.
Bianco’s new deal will keep Collegiate Baseball’s 2020 National Coach of the Year in Oxford for four more years — the maximum allowed by state law.
“Mike is one of the best baseball coaches in the nation, and this contract is intended to ensure he remains a Rebel for a long time,” Ole Miss AD Keith Carter Carter said. “Year in and year out, Mike has established Ole Miss as one of the premier programs in college baseball, and I don’t think there is a hotter team in the country heading into next season. This new contract is beneficial for Ole Miss and Mike, and there were productive negotiations to reach a deal that works well for both sides. I look forward to Mike’s continued leadership in our program and to fully supporting him as we try to bring a national championship to Oxford.”
“Camie and I are very appreciative of the support from Chancellor Boyce, Keith, the IHL Board of Trustees and our Foundation Board of Directors,” Bianco said. “We’ve missed playing in front of the best fans in America, but we know the health and safety of everyone is more important than baseball. I look forward to getting back on the field with our guys at the appropriate time and building a 2021 team that will make Rebel Nation proud. Thank you for the opportunity to continue to lead Ole Miss Baseball.”
The Rebels “finished” the 2020 season on a 16-game winning streak before it was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Rebels didn’t get the chance to test their mettle in conference play, the program and its fans were hoping for their first trip to the College World Series in Omaha since 2014. In his 20 seasons at Ole Miss, that represents to Rebels lone trip to Omaha, and Carter stressed that both he and Bianco hear the chatter.
“We’ve talked very candidly about what’s out there and what people say, and believe me, he gets it and he’s working hard to get us [to Omaha],” Carter said during an appearance on SportsTalk Mississippi in late May. “At the same time, you want a program that’s consistent, you want something that every year you know you’re going to have a winner, you’re going to be right on the doorstep of doing some really good things, and I have no doubt that he’s going to bust through that door in a big way very soon.”
Bianco has led the Rebels to the postseason 16 times, including six Super Regional berths.
With an overall record of 767-440-1, Bianco is the winningest coach in program history and the third-winningest coach in SEC history in addition to being the conference’s active wins leader.
The Rebels have surpassed the 30-win mark in each (full) season under Bianco’s leadership and they’ve won 40 or more games eight times.
As for player development, 116 Rebels have been selected in the MLB Draft during his tenure, 20 players have earned All-American honors and 62 Rebels have achieved All-SEC status.
