With a new stadium and a solid core of talent, the Virginia baseball program may have added the final piece of the puzzle by naming Brian O'Connor, the associate head baseball coach at the University of Notre Dame, the new head baseball coach of the Cavaliers. O'Connor comes to Charlottesville after nine years on the coaching staff of the Fighting Irish.
"To be the head baseball coach at the University of Virginia is a tremendous honor and opportunity," O'Connor said in a release. "The combination of one of the premier athletic departments in the nation, school tradition and excellence in academics was very attractive to me."
O'Connor's arrival fills the void left by the retirement of Dennis Womack. Womack served as the head of Virginia baseball for 25 years.
"Brian O'Connor will bring energy and enthusiasm to our baseball program and a great understanding of the landscape in college baseball," Littlepage said in a release. "He will hit the ground running and make an immediate impact in all aspects of our program."
O'Connor earned national assistant coach of the year honors in 2001 from the American Baseball Coaches Association. He also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Fighting Irish, raking in a nine-member group ranked as the nation's top incoming class for the 2002 season. Notre Dame boasted a .713 win percentage and six conference championships during O'Connor's nine years on the staff.
"Notre Dame is one of the country's most admired baseball programs," Littlepage said. "The experience Coach O'Connor gained in helping build Notre Dame's program will be instrumental in developing a plan to move the University of Virginia's baseball program forward."
Last season, Notre Dame finished 45-18 and won the Big East Championship.
"My tenure at Notre Dame has prepared me to succeed in the Atlantic Coast Conference as the head coach at the University of Virginia," O'Connor said.
"I'm very passionate about developing student-athletes while creating an exciting, winning environment. I look forward to meeting with the players and sharing with them my vision for the future of this baseball program."
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