Mike Bianco receives contract extension following national championship run

Published 1:06 pm Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Mike Bianco will be in Oxford for a long time.

The Ole Miss baseball head coach agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension on Wednesday that will keep him in town through at least 2026.

Mississippi law prevents public institutions from entering into contracts with employees for more than four years, but Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter has made it clear that Bianco will stay with the team for as long as he wants—and his new contract certainly illustrates that desire.

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Per terms released by the university, Bianco will receive an annual base salary of $1,625,000. That compensation will increase by $35,000 in years where the team makes a Super Regional appearance, $50,000 in years where they make a Men’s College World Series appearance and $100,000 in years where they win a national championship.

The contract also has incentives built-in for postseason achievements, career win benchmarks, coach of the year awards and the team’s academic achievements.

In addition to his base salary, Bianco can earn $15,000 for each SEC West championship, $25,000 for each SEC regular-season championship, $25,000 for each SEC tournament championship, $25,000 for each selection as an NCAA Regional host, $15,000 for each Super Regional appearance (or $25,000 in years where the team hosts a Super Regional), and anywhere from $150,000 – $400,000 for Men’s College World Series finishes.

He can also receive $25,000 for SEC Coach of the Year awards, $50,000 for National Coach of the Year awards, $25,000 – $50,000 per year if the team hits certain APR benchmarks, $125,000 for reaching 900 career wins, $250,000 for reaching 1,000 wins, $250,000 for reaching 1,100 wins, $250,000 for reaching 1,200 wins and $250,000 for becoming the winningest coach in SEC history.

“We are blessed to have Mike Bianco as our head coach, and we intend for him to lead our baseball team for many, many years to come,” Carter said in a statement released by the school. “With his remarkable track record, no one was more deserving of that national title run than Mike. We have accomplished so much in every facet of our program, and under Mike’s leadership, we look forward to continuing that level of success and experiencing more championship moments.”

Bianco led Ole Miss to the first NCAA-recognized championship in a major men’s sport in school history last season after sneaking into the NCAA tournament as the final team in the field of 64.

The Rebels went 10-1 in the tournament, including 5-1 in the Men’s College World Series as they defeated Auburn, Arkansas (twice) and Oklahoma (twice) to secure their first-ever national championship.

Ole Miss returns a talented core of players for 2023 highlighted by USA Baseball Collegiate National Team selections Jacob Gonzalez and Hunter Elliott.