Virginia Coaching Profile: Candidates To Replace Brian O’Connor

Editor’s note: This list has been updated to reflect new intel regarding Virginia’s coaching search. Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter was removed after sources close to Virginia’s search indicated to Baseball America that he was an unlikely candidate for the position.

Chris Pollard, Head Coach, Duke

Pollard has turned Duke into one of the ACC’s most reliable contenders. He’s lead the Blue Devils to four super regional appearances—unprecedented success for a program that had long struggled to find footing. Now in his 14th season, Pollard is Duke’s all-time wins leader and has established a reputation for building deep, resilient rosters. His 2025 team is still alive in the NCAA Tournament and sits two wins away from snapping a College World Series drought that stretches back to 1961. Though Pollard is deeply rooted at Duke, the Virginia job would present a rare opportunity to lead one of the league’s best-resourced programs. Industry sources expect his name to be part of the conversation.

Dan Heefner, Head Coach, Dallas Baptist

Many have tried but all have failed to pull Heefner from the Lone Star State, where he’s built a powerhouse out of the Patriots over the last 18 years. Dallas Baptist has won nearly 700 games, reached two super regionals and made 11 straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Heefner’s instruction. But in an era of college sports when the resource gap and struggle for spots in the NCAA Tournament are putting a tight squeeze on mid-major program leaders, the Virginia job has its perks. Again, it won’t be easy to pull Heefner from Dallas Baptist, but this feels like the kind of opening that could do it if it pushed hard enough.

Jim Penders, Head Coach, Connecticut

Few coaches are more synonymous with their program than Penders with UConn. A former Huskie player and assistant, he’s led the team since 2004 and built it into one of the nation’s top northern powers. Under Penders, UConn has won six Big East regular season titles—including each of the last four—claimed four conference tournament crowns and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s reached three super regionals and come within a whisker of Omaha twice in the past four years. With nearly 800 career victories, Penders has obviously proven he can win. Luring him from his alma mater won’t be easy, but Virginia’s profile is the type that could at least get him to listen.

Cliff Godwin, Head Coach, East Carolina

Few active mid-major coaches have knocked on Omaha’s door as often or as loudly as Godwin. In 10 full seasons at his alma mater (excluding 2020), he’s turned East Carolina into a perennial NCAA Tournament threat, guiding the Pirates to nine regionals and four super regionals. He’s already the winningest coach in program history and is widely respected as a developer of both players and staff. Godwin has been connected to multiple high-profile jobs in recent cycles, though pulling him from ECU has proven difficult. Still, Virginia’s blend of ACC resources, national brand and academic profile could make it one of the few opportunities capable of prying him loose.

Mike Glavine, Head Coach, Northeastern

Glavine has steadily elevated Northeastern into one of the premier mid-major programs in the country. He just guided the Huskies to arguably their best season ever: 49 wins and the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory under his leadership. Since taking over as head coach in 2014, Glavine has built a consistent winner in a region where doing so is no easy task. He’s also forged deep recruiting ties across the Northeast, an area that proved to be a critical pipeline under O’Connor. If Virginia leans toward a fit with strong regional connections and a proven track record of development, Glavine could emerge as a name to watch.

Billy O’Connor, Head Coach, Xavier

At just 38 years old, O’Connor is one of the more intriguing young head coaches in the country. He’s led Xavier since 2018, amassing 214 wins and guiding the Musketeers to a regional in 2023. His 2025 team remained in at-large contention deep into May despite operating with resources that pale in comparison to many of its power conference peers. O’Connor also brings Northeast recruiting experience. He’d be a deeper-pull candidate here but one with upside.

Alex Sogard, Head Coach, Wright State

Sogard is one of the fastest-rising names in the coaching ranks and seems primed for a jump. He’s sustained and elevated Wright State’s proud tradition, becoming the only coach in program history to lead the Raiders to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His team’s elimination of No. 1 national seed Vanderbilt this postseason only further validated his stock. At 37, Sogard mirrors the trajectory of past Wright State head coaches who vaulted to major jobs, specifically Rob Cooper, Greg Lovelady and Jeff Mercer. It’d be an outside-the-box play for Virginia, but he would make sense if the school is aiming to hire someone younger with a strong recent track record.

Chuck Jeroloman, Associate Head Coach, Florida

Jeroloman has built a strong reputation as one of the top recruiters in the South, helping Florida consistently land blue-chip prep talent. Now in his sixth season under Kevin O’Sullivan, he’s regarded as a sharp evaluator with deep connections across the region. Jeroloman has drawn interest in recent cycles—he was connected to the UCF and USF searches and considered for several Sun Belt jobs. That said, the Virginia vacancy is widely expected to draw heavy interest from sitting head coaches, making it more likely Jeroloman remains on the radar for future opportunities rather than a frontrunner here.

Nolan Cain, Associate Head Coach, Texas

Cain has emerged as one of the most respected assistants in college baseball, with a track record of helping build elite rosters at LSU, Texas A&M and now Texas, where he serves as associate head coach. A proven recruiter from the Jim Schlossnagle coaching tree, Cain is viewed across the industry as a future head coach at a major program. He’s expected to be one of the hotter assistant names on the market this summer, though, again, Virginia is widely expected to prioritize sitting head coaches in its search—potentially making Cain more of a name to file away for the future.