Ole Miss and head baseball coach Mike Bianco are finalizing a new four-year contract.
The update follows the Rebels’ recent College World Series run and was first reported by Chase Parham with 247Sports. Bianco, who just concluded his 26th campaign with the red and blue, helped lead the club to a 41-23 record and appearance in Omaha, which ended in a 12-8 loss to Troy.
Ole Miss hired Bianco in June 2000, and since then, the program has experienced 990 wins, 20 postseason appearances, two conference tournament championships, nine super regional berths, and the program’s lone national title in 2022.
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Under Bianco’s guidance, the Rebels have reached the 30-win plateau in all but two of his 26 full seasons, including a dozen 40-plus win campaigns. In his time in Oxford, Bianco has produced 146 MLB draft picks, with some of the biggest names including Lance Lynn, Drew Pomeranz, Chris Coghlan, and, more recently, Jacob Gonzalez and Tim Elko.
In the upcoming draft held in July, the Rebels could have two first-round selections with right-handed pitchers Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe widely being considered two of the best available arms.
Preparing for 2027, Bianco and company will have to replace a good chunk of the roster. Notably, Rabe, Townsend, and ace Hunter Elliott are expected to go pro. Ole Miss is also losing four-year seniors Will Furniss and Judd Utermark. But the returning core of Hayden Federico, Dom Decker, and Owen Paino will be a solid group to build around with transfers tailored to fill roster needs.