STARKVILLE — John Cohen didn’t waste any time.
A day after being hired as Mississippi State’s 17th director of athletics, Cohen found someone to take his place as the school’s baseball coach.
On Saturday morning, Cohen announced the hiring of LSU assistant Andy Cannizaro as MSU baseball coach. The details of Cannizaro’s contract weren’t released. He will be introduced at 3 p.m. Monday in the Bryce Griffis Boardroom.
“When you look at all of the characteristics we need in a baseball coach at Mississippi State, Andy is the perfect fit,” Cohen said in a statement released by the school. “He has an outstanding resume as a recruiter and scout in evaluating and developing talent. He’s been around some of the best minds in all of baseball during his college and professional career. His personality and knowledge of the game will benefit our players.”
Cannizaro spent the last two seasons as LSU’s recruiting coordinator and hitting coach after being hired in 2014. He served as a New York Yankees scout for five years (2009-14). He was a four-year starter at shortstop at Tulane (1998-2001) and was a two-time All-American. He played in the organizations of the New York Yankees (2001-07), the Tampa Bay Rays (2008), the Cleveland Indians (2008-09), and the Chicago White Sox (2009). He played in the major leagues for the Yankees in September 2006 and with the Rays in 2008.
“I am extremely honored and humbled by the opportunity to become the head baseball coach at Mississippi State, and would like to thank President Mark Keenum and John Cohen for trusting me to continue the success of this historic program into the future,” Cannizaro said in a statement released by the school. “My family and I could not be more excited to become a part of the Starkville community. Our team and our staff understand the tradition and pride in Mississippi State baseball and will be relentless in our pursuit of our first national championship.”
Cannizaro saw former LSU infielder Alex Bregman become the highest LSU player taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft last year when the Houston Astros used No. 2 pick to select him. Bregman made his major-league debut in July.
Despite losing eight starters from the 2015 team, the Tigers ranked first in the SEC in stolen bases (95), second in runs (426) and triples (21), third in scoring (6.5 runs per game), on-base percentage (.385), and slugging percentage (.422) in 2016.
“I’m very happy for Andy. This is a tremendous opportunity,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said in a statement. “He’s been a very loyal, hard-working coach for the LSU Tigers, and he’s done a really great job. Andy is a very talented guy, and we wish him well in his new position.”
Cohen revealed Friday he knew Cannizaro and that he felt like he would be someone he talked to about MSU’s opening for a baseball coach.
“Andy is a person I’ve known for a while,” Cohen said. “He’s an outstanding person and he’s an outstanding coach.
“I want to tell you what I told our team, ‘I said you’re not going to get a coach as good as John Cohen, you’re going to get a coach that’s better than John Cohen,’ ”
Cannizaro, 37, served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at LSU under coach Paul Mainieri since July 2014. He coached six Tigers to All-America recognition and played a role in helping 11 players get drafted. Five were selected in the first five rounds.
In 2015, Cannizaro helped LSU finish among the NCAA’s top seven in five offensive categories. LSU led the nation in hits (762) and finished third in stolen bases (130) and doubles (146), fourth in batting average (.314), and seventh in runs (451).
Prior to his time at LSU, Cannizaro worked as a Yankees scout from 2009-2014, evaluating and recruiting amateur players in preparation for the annual MLB draft. He was the Yankees’ official representative at the 2013 and 2014 MLB drafts. He also worked as the advance scout for the team as it prepared for the 2011 and 2012 playoffs.
Seven of the players Cannizaro drafted for the Yankees from 2010-14 reached the Major Leagues, including former MSU standouts Jacob Lindgren and Jonathan Holder.
Cannizaro was the Yankees’ seventh-round selection in the 2001 MLB draft. He joined the Rays in 2008 and was on the club’s big-league roster for the first two months of the season. He later played for the Triple-AAA affiliates of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox before retiring in September 2009.
Cannizaro was a four-year starter at Tulane. He led the 2001 Green Wave squad to the first College World Series appearance in school history by hitting .395 with 118 hits, 34 doubles, 70 RBIs and 52 stolen bases.
A two-time All-American and three-time All-Conference USA performer, Cannizaro is Tulane’s all-time leader in games (248), at-bats (1,030), hits (350), doubles (85), and stolen bases (128). He was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
A native of Mandeville, Louisiana, Cannizaro graduated from Tulane in December 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology/business minor. He and his wife, Allison, are the parents of Gabrielle, 6, and Pierce, 3.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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