On Monday, Mississippi State fired head coach Chris Lemonis in the middle of his seventh season in Starkville, Miss.
The 55-year-old led the Bulldogs to a 25-19 overall record and a 7-14 record in Southeastern Conference play thus far this season. Mississippi State had lost a weekend series to Auburn just before the announcement came.
Lemonis led the Bulldogs to their first-ever NCAA championship in 2021. That was also the second time he led Mississippi State to the College World Series. He also led the team to Omaha in 2019, his first season in Starkville.
Since that season, Mississippi State baseball has not produced results on par with those usually expected. In 2022 and 2023, the Bulldogs went 9-21 in SEC play in both seasons and missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, the Bulldogs were better with a 17-13 conference record. However, their run in the NCAA Tournament was short-lived, as they were knocked out in the Charlottesville, Va., regional.
Hovering on the NCAA Tournament bubble this season with an SEC record below .500, Mississippi State decided it was time to move on from Lemonis.
For the remainder of the 2025 season, the Bulldogs will have second-year pitching coach Justin Parker take over in an interim head coaching role.
Up Next – Mississippi State’s next game will be at home in Dudy Noble Field against the Memphis Tigers. The first pitch for the matchup on Tuesday, April 29, is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT.
Photo: Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis argues a balk call with an umpire during an NCAA baseball game against Queens on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
