re: Who will be the head baseball coach at Mississippi State in 2019

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well, on the flip side, Bianco went to Ole Miss, a rival of his alma mater and previous coaching job. I tend to believe that rarely has much effect on where guys take jobs. Plenty of D-1 head coaches in all sports coach at schools that are rivals of their alma maters or previous coaching jobs. IMO, McDonnell would and should jump at the opportunity to coach at a program like State.

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You're right, coaches take jobs at schools that put them at odds with their previous allegiances all of the time. I don't think this would be a matter of being an instate rival with Ole Miss the institution, as much as it would be a reluctance to take a job that would put him at odds with Bianco the friend.

Let's face it, one of the job requirements at State is to take shots at Ole Miss, whether on the recruiting trail, at fundraisers, or otherwise. Lest we forget this gem that occurred under Cohen's watch.



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I don't know how close McDonnell and Bianco actually are, but Bianco did send his kid up to Louisville to play for McDonnell. That tells me that they have a tremendous amount of respect for, and trust in, one another.

McDonnell seems like a stand-up guy, so I'm sure he would handle it well. Hell, Bianco might even encourage him to take the job. Regardless, I think that the relationship between coaches as it relates to the dynamic between schools would be a factor to consider.