On Wednesday, Baylor announced that former longtime baseball assistant Mitch Thompson will be returning to lead the program as head coach.
Thompson spent the past nine seasons as the head coach at McLennan Community College also located in Waco where his team won the junior college national title in 2021.
Thompson was an assistant at Baylor from 1995 to 2012. He replaces Steve Rodriguez who was the skipper for the past seven seasons. Rodriguez resigned days after Baylor was eliminated from the Big 12 Conference Tournament and finished the season with a losing record of 26-28.
In his announcement, Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades said "[Thompson's] proven track record of success along with his personal connection to Baylor make him a special fit for [the] position."
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Rhoades described Thompson as a "passionate leader" who will bring "tremendous energy and excitement."
During Thompson's time as an assistant at Baylor, the Bears won three Big 12 titles, made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and went to the 2005 College World Series.
In nine seasons leading McLennan, he had a record of 372-138-1 with postseason appearances every season. MCC was the 2021 JUCO national champion and was the runner-up in 2015.
