Brian O’Connor extended as Virginia baseball coach through 2027

The Virginia Cavaliers announced Saturday that baseball head coach Brian O’Connor has agreed to extend his contract through the 2027 season. This move comes at the end of Virginia’s fifth trip to the College World Series — all since 2009 — and after a magical run down the back half of the season that resulted in that trip to Omaha for the Cavaliers.

“My thanks to athletics director Carla Williams and university president Jim Ryan for the trust and confidence that they have shown in allowing me to continue to lead the University of Virginia baseball program,” O’Connor stated in Virginia’s official release. “It is a privilege and an honor to have the opportunity to have coached and continue to coach the remarkable student-athletes of this program.”

Virginia went 1-2 in Omaha with a win over No. 3 Tennessee and losses to No. 7 Mississippi State and No. 2 Texas. The Cavaliers were one of two unseeded teams at the CWS — alongside NC State — and came just short of making the finals.

O’Connor led Virginia to their first (and so far only) NCAA title in 2015 when the Cavaliers defeated Vanderbilt. This season’s trip to the CWS was the first since that title, and Virginia won the Columbia Regional and Super Regional after going 6-0 in elimination games.

“The University of Virginia is a special place to me and my family. I am committed to this program, our student-athletes, the fans and this great institution,” O’Connor said. “We will keep working to reach all of our goals on and off the field.”

With all of the issues surrounding following protocols amidst a global pandemic, O’Connor was effusive with praise for his team on their perseverance and heart. “What they persevered through, the resiliency that they have shown the last two months, but specifically over the last two weeks, is just remarkable,” O’Connor said after Virginia’s loss to Texas. “I told them that all the teams that we have at Virginia are all special in their own way, but this one is at the top.”

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Brian O’Connor leading our program,” Virginia AC Carla Williams said. “He is the ultimate professional, an amazing leader and a great representative of the University of Virginia.”