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When Ole Miss named Mike Bianco as head coach of the Rebel baseball program on June 7, 2000, it was with an air of excitement as Ole Miss fans looked to see the Rebels return to prominence. In the nine seasons since taking the reins of the program, Bianco has delivered on that expectation as Ole Miss Baseball has become one of the nation's benchmark programs. With eight post-season appearances in nine years, including hosting four-straight Regionals and playing in four Super Regionals over the past five years, Ole Miss has continued to rank among the nation's elite each season under Bianco. With an appearance in the Championship Game of the Oxford Regional in 2009, the Rebels are one of only five teams in the nation to have advanced to play for a Regional Championship each of the last five seasons. The Super Regional appearance against Virginia in 2009 also made the Rebels one of only six teams to advance to a Super Regional four of the last five seasons. The Rebels posted three-straight 40-win seasons from 2005-2007 for the first time in school history and have won at least 35 games each of the last nine seasons. In the Southeastern Conference, the nation's toughest baseball league, Ole Miss leads all teams for conference wins over the past seven seasons. Bianco has also led the Rebels to championships as Ole Miss won the Western Division Title in 2005 and followed that up a year later with the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship. In 2009, the Rebels claimed the overall SEC Championship with a school record 20 wins in conference play. On the field, Bianco has established a tradition of developing some of the nation's top players as the Rebels have seen 16 All-America selections come through the program in the past nine seasons. The most recent addition to the list of All-Americans was right-handed pitcher Scott Bittle, who was named a First Team selection in 2008. The excellence produced on the field has not gone unnoticed over the last eight seasons under Bianco as 44 players have accounted for 50 draft picks by Major League Baseball in that time. The excitement on the field has spilled over into the stands where fans of Ole Miss Baseball have taken notice and shown their appreciation. Each season under Bianco, attendance has soared as more and more fans clamor to fill Oxford-University Stadium. That frenzy has been characterized as one of the best atmospheres in baseball. Attendance figures have been shattered with more than 273,000 fans packing the park in 2009 to see the Rebels play. The 2009 season marked the fifth consecutive season that more than 160,000 fans have come to Oxford to see Ole Miss in action, and the sixth straight year with more than 120,000 fans flocking to O-U Stadium to watch Rebel baseball. Oxford has evolved into a top destination for fans of postseason baseball under Bianco as the Rebels hosted four-straight NCAA Regional and two Super Regionals from 2004-2007. Ole Miss posted the largest crowds for any NCAA Super Regional in 2005 and 2006, and posted the highest attendance of any NCAA Regional in 2006. The 2005 NCAA Regional in Oxford drew the second-largest crowd among all Regionals. When the Rebels hosted again in 2009 at the newly renovated Oxford-University Stadium, new attendance marks were again set as the Rebels hosted the largest crowd in school history as 10,323 fans came to see the Rebels take on Virginia in game two of the Super Regional. All told, 29,646 fans came to the Super Regional, making it the most attended Super Regional of the season and the highest attendance for a Super Regional at an on-campus facility in NCAA history. On Monday, June 13, 2005, the Rebels' Super Regional game against eventual national champion Texas was the third most watched television broadcast of a college baseball game in the history of ESPN. It's further evidence that under Mike Bianco, Ole Miss Baseball has truly become a national name. Ole Miss Enters A New Era Since Bianco took the helm of the program nine years ago, he has raised the bar for expectations at Ole Miss with each successive season. After being picked to finish sixth in the SEC Western Division in his first season, the Rebels defied expectations, finishing second in the SEC Western Division with a 17-13 record and an overall record of 39-23-1. The 39 wins was then one shy of the school record for a single season, while the 17 conference wins tied the school record at the time. Ole Miss would rise in the national spotlight that season, breaking into the top 10 in the national rankings for the first time since the 1972 season. The Rebels closed out the year with a trip to the NCAA Regional in New Orleans as the No. 2 seed. Four Rebels earned spots as All-SEC selections on either the first or second team, while outfielder Burney Hutchinson earned second team All-America honors from Baseball Weekly. It would be the beginning of a steady climb to the top for Ole Miss. The Rebels again found themselves in the national spotlight in the 2002 season as Ole Miss climbed as high as No. 6 in the national rankings following a series win at then No. 2 Alabama. It was the highest national ranking for the Rebels since finishing the 1969 season ranked No. 6 by Collegiate Baseball. Ole Miss would also see its first Freshman of the Year in the SEC as outfielder Seth Smith earned the honor from the league. The 2003 season again saw Ole Miss in the postseason as Ole Miss earned a berth in the Houston Regional. Bianco's Rebels, led by a pitching staff that saw five freshmen throw more than 60 percent of the innings on the season and led the SEC in ERA at 3.45 for the year, hit the 35-win mark for the third straight season on the way to the postseason. The appearance in the NCAA Regional was the second in three years for Bianco's program and only the fourth for Ole Miss since the 1977 season. One member of that pitching staff, two-way player Stephen Head, would be named SEC Freshman of the Year and also named national Freshman of the Year along with All-America honors. The groundwork was laid for the future as the Rebels would reach even greater heights in the coming years. Back-To-Back Seasons Of Firsts Ole Miss set the stage for the move to the next level in 2004 as the Rebels earned another berth in the postseason, marking the first time in program history that Ole Miss would reach an NCAA Regional in back-to-back seasons. But, things were different this time around. Instead of heading on the road for the postseason in 2004, the Rebels were selected as one of the 16 host sites for an NCAA Regional. It was the first time Ole Miss had ever served as a Regional host, but it wouldn't be the last. On the way to the postseason, Bianco's Rebels notched a school-record 18 wins in Southeastern Conference play on the way to an overall mark of 39-21. The Rebels were also ranked in all four of the major college baseball polls each week of the season, including eight total weeks in the top 10 in at least one of the polls. Ole Miss was in the top 10 for six-straight weeks from March 22- April 26, moving as high as fourth-nationally in the March 29 edition of the Collegiate Baseball rankings. Stephen Head, now a sophomore, would earn All-America honors for the second-straight season, becoming the school's third two-time All-American in 2004. He also was named Co-Player of the Year in the SEC and was selected as one of five finalists for the 2004 Golden Spikes Award, amateur baseball's most prestigious award. It was the first time a Rebel player had ever been a finalist for the award. Head also brought home to Oxford the first "Boo" Ferriss Award, given to the top baseball player in the state of Mississippi. Not satisfied with the accomplishments of the previous season, Ole Miss added to its list of firsts in 2005 as the Rebels built on its earlier success. The Rebels hosted a second-straight NCAA Regional and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the first time, playing host to the eventual national-champion Texas Longhorns. The Rebels broke the 40-win mark for the first time under Bianco, setting a school record with a 48-20 record on the season and claiming the SEC Western Division Championship. Ole Miss also saw the second-straight Boo Ferriss Award come to Oxford as Brian Pettway was named as the award's recipient as well as being named an All-American for the first time in his career. He joined Stephen Head, who became the program's first-ever three-time All-American when he earned the distinction again in 2005. Continued Championships And Success Not one to be content with the success of previous years, Bianco's Rebels used the achievements of 2005 to springboard into the 2006 season. The Rebels posted a 44-22 record marking the first time in history that Ole Miss had turned in back-to-back 40-win seasons. Ole Miss also claimed the 2006 Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship on the way to hosting its third-consecutive NCAA Regional as well as a second-straight Super Regional against the Miami Hurricanes. The Rebels would again see two players gain national recognition as Zack Cozart and Cody Satterwhite were named All-Americans and three Rebels would gain All-SEC honors. With the conclusion of the 2006 season, Ole Miss found itself holding a spot as one of the top teams in the nation and atop the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels were the only team in the SEC to post a winning record in conference play each of the previous four seasons. Ole Miss also posted more wins in the SEC than any other program over the same time frame. Ole Miss extended that streak in 2007 as the Rebels posted a fifth-straight winning season in SEC action and continued to lead the league in wins over the same time period with 86 conference wins over the previous five years. The Rebels also set a new mark with a third consecutive 40-win season as Ole Miss advanced to the Tempe Super Regional and posted a 40-25 mark on the year. The Rebels became one of only two schools to have hosted an NCAA Regional each of the previous four years and one of only four schools to have advanced to Super Regional play three-straight years. Several players pulled in honors in 2007 as Ole Miss added a third SEC Freshman of the Year in Jordan Henry and Rebels took seven slots on All-SEC Teams. Cozart was named an All-SEC First Team selection, while Henry, Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite were named to the Second Team. Henry also joined Nathan Baker and Zach Miller on the All-Freshman team. The trio also pulled in Freshman All-America honors, marking the first time the Rebels earned the honor for three players in the same season. The honors continued to come in for the Rebels in 2008 as Ole Miss advanced to a sixth-straight NCAA Regional, playing in Coral Gables at #1 Miami. The Rebels advanced to the Championship game before falling to the top-ranked and top-seeded Hurricanes. Scott Bittle brought home the program's third Ferriss Award as the state of Mississippi's top collegiate player and also earned First Team All-America honors. Ole Miss continued to pull in the accolades in 2009 as the Rebels claimed the Southeastern Conference Championship for the first time since 1977 with a 20-10 record in conference play. The 20 wins set the school record for wins in SEC play and helped Ole Miss secure a seventh straight berth in the NCAA Tournament, hosting for the fifth time in Bianco's nine years. The Rebels advanced to an NCAA Super Regional for the fourth time in the last five seasons, becoming one of only six schools to advance to at least four Super Regionals in that time. Excitement Leads To Record Crowds Ole Miss' success on the diamond under Bianco has led to the Rebels being successful at the box office. Ole Miss has ranked among the nation's top 25 attendance leaders, including five-straight years in the top 10, in all nine of Bianco's seasons at Ole Miss as fans have bought into the excitement of Rebel baseball. Proof of the excitement and success surrounding Ole Miss Baseball can most clearly be seen when looking at the numbers. Ole Miss has gone from almost 60,000 fans coming to Oxford in the 2001 season to the record-shattering 273,111 fans who made the trek to Oxford to see Ole Miss play in 2009. That figure ranked second nationally in attendance. Every one of the top 20 crowds at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field have come during Bianco's nine years, including the largest crowd in program history when 10,323 came to see the Rebels play Virginia on June 6, 2009. In the 2005 season, 170,152 fans filled O-U Stadium, including 26,074 fans for the Rebels' three-game Super Regional with Texas. That number was shattered a year later with the more than 184,000 fans who traveled to Oxford in 2006, including another crowd of more than 26,000 for the Super Regional against Miami. The Rebels again shattered their post-season attendance record in 2009, when almost 30,000 fans attended the NCAA Super Regional against Virginia. The Rebels have taken that crowd support and turned it into a distinct home field advantage. Ole Miss has won 73 percent of its home games under Bianco, compiling a 238-86-1 record at Swayze Field. In addition to the outstanding winning percentage, the demand for seats has led to new renovations and additions at O-U Stadium/Swayze Field. Grilling areas, picnic pavilions and terraced seats have been added beyond the wall in left field in the Oakes Pavilion. Beyond the right field wall, new ter racing along with more grilling areas and picnic pavilions have been added in the area heavily populated by Ole Miss students. Additions to the grandstand including skyboxes and additional grandstand seating were completed in 2009 as O-U Stadium expanded to accommodate the standing room only crowds that have become a mainstay for the Rebels under the leadership of Bianco. Top Recruiter Not only have fans and the media covering college baseball noticed Ole Miss' resurgence under Bianco, some of the top talent in the country is also taking a close look at the Rebels. Seven of Bianco's nine recruiting classes at Ole Miss have garnered top-20 national rankings, including two that have placed in the top-10. His first recruiting class was rated as one of the nation's 10 best by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America, including a No. 6 ranking by Collegiate Baseball. The 2003 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball. The Rebels have had six first team Freshman All-Americas, two second team Freshman All-America and two honorable mention Freshman All-America selections in Bianco's eight seasons at Ole Miss. Ole Miss has also had back-to-back SEC Freshman of the Year winners in outfielder Seth Smith (2002) and left-handed pitcher/first baseman Stephen Head (2003). In addition, Head earned co-National Freshman Player of the Year honors, and second team All-America honors as a utility player. Jordan Henry became the third SEC Freshman of the Year under Bianco when he earned the honor in 2007. Head and Smith were also members of the USA National Team that captured the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games. Zack Cozart was selected to compete for the USA National Team in 2006, while right-handed pitchers Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite were selected to compete with the USA National Team in 2007 in the Pan Am Games. In his eight years, Bianco has seen five players selected to compete in international competition with USA Baseball. Foundation Of Success Bianco's winning ways can be traced back to his playing days. After spending two seasons at Indian River (Fla.) Community College, he played two seasons for Skip Bertman at perennial national-power LSU in 1988 and 1989. He was the starting catcher and team captain for the Tigers' 1989 team that finished third at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. He homered in LSU's 6-3 win over Miami (Fla.) in the 1989 CWS to help advance the Tigers to the semifinals. While working behind the plate for LSU, Bianco caught major league pitchers Ben McDonald, Russ Springer, Curtis Leskanic, John O'Donoghue, Chad Ogea and Paul Byrd. His time behind the plate as a player would later benefit him as he would serve as LSU's pitching coach during three world series championship teams in the 1990s. Bianco would also work with the pitchers during his three years as head coach at McNeese State, and continues to serve in that same capacity with the Rebels. Omaha Experience Following his playing career, he joined Jim Wells' (former head coach at Alabama) coaching staff at Northwestern State, where he served two seasons from 1991-1992 as a graduate assistant. He helped coach Northwestern State to a 1991 Southland Conference (SLC) championship and an appearance in the 1991 NCAA South I Regional. He then returned to Baton Rouge where he joined Bertman's staff at LSU. In five seasons at LSU from 1993-1997, the Tigers advanced to the College World Series four times and claimed three national championships. LSU also won three Southeastern Conference crowns and two SEC Tournament titles in that five-year span. After the Tigers' 1997 College World Series title run, Bianco was named the head coach at McNeese State in July of that year. Bianco Earns Head Coaching Experience After seven seasons as an assistant at Northwestern (La.) State and LSU, Bianco received his first head coaching opportunity, taking over the reins of McNeese State. He quickly displayed his abilities to develop a competitive program. In his first season with the Cowboys in 1998, he engineered an 11-game improvement from 1997, posting a 30-26 record - the first of three 30-win seasons. The 1998 season also saw the Cowboys rise to third in the conference standings and qualify for the SLC Tournament. Following a 31-25 campaign in 1999, Bianco's 2000 team produced one of the most successful seasons in McNeese State history. The Cowboys finished 39-20, including winning a school-record 20 SLC games en route to claiming their first conference title since 1988, and making their third-ever appearance in the NCAA Regionals. In recognition, Bianco was named the SLC's Coach of the Year. Bianco's 2000 McNeese State team raked in the individual postseason awards. Four Cowboys were named to the SLC's first team, including the conference's Hitter and Newcomer of the Year in Chris Williamson, and the SLC's Pitcher of the Year in Chris Howay. Power hitting was the Cowboys' trademark under Bianco, as they hit 212 home runs in his three seasons, including a school-record 81 in 1999. His 2000 team batted .305 and set a new school standard for hits in a season with 600. Coached 15 Major League Players In his 19 years as either an assistant or head coach at Northwestern State, LSU, McNeese State and Ole Miss, Bianco has coached 93 players who have gone on to sign professional contracts, including 42 pitchers. Among those 93 players, 15 have made Major League rosters, including former San Francisco Giants right-hander Kurt Ainsworth, Seattle Mariners first baseman Ben Broussard and San Diego Padres second baseman Todd Walker. Most recently, outfielder Chris Coghlan made it to the big leagues with the Marlins and Matt Maloney got called up to the Majors by the Cincinnati Reds. In addition to Maloney, Bianco has coached six other pitchers who have appeared in the Major Leagues. In his nine years at Ole Miss, Bianco has coached 19 pitchers who have gone on to the professional ranks. Over the past five seasons, 18 pitchers have been drafted, including five in the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft - including Stephen Head, Mark Holliman, Eric Fowler, Matt Maloney and Anthony Cupps. Bianco has also tutored 12 catchers that have gone on to sign professional contracts. In 2009, Kyle Henson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants, while Brett Basham was taken by the San Diego Padres. To date, every starting catcher under Bianco has gone on to play professionally. Personal Background Bianco, 42, was born May 3, 1967, and is a native of Seminole, Fla. He is married to the former Camille Marquette, and the couple has five children: sons, Michael, Benjamin, Andrew, and Samuel, and one daughter, Catherine. Bianco was inducted into the Indian River Community College Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also named to the All-Alex Box Omaha Era Team by LSU in 2008.
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Courtesy: University of Mississippi
