For the second time in three days, Kentucky Coach Nick Mingione has been honored as National Coach of the Year, this time by the National College Baseball Writers Association. The announcement came Friday, on the eve of the school’s first Men’s College World Series appearance. This marks the second time Mingione has received this award in his eight seasons as head coach.
Mingione previously won both SEC and National Coach of the Year in 2017. Recently, he was also named SEC Coach of the Month and 2024 Perfect Game National Coach of the Year.
Under Mingione’s guidance, a Kentucky team predicted to finish near the bottom of the SEC Eastern Division captured a conference championship, only the second in school history, and secured its first NCAA College World Series berth in over 100 years. Mingione was also an assistant coach on the 2006 team that won the SEC title.
Kentucky had an outstanding 2024 regular season, setting school and SEC records. The Wildcats achieved a school-record 22 SEC victories and 11 SEC road victories. For the second consecutive year, UK started the league slate with a 9-1 record, becoming the first team in 32 years to do so. Their 15-1 start to conference play was the best in school history.
The Wildcats’ postseason performance was equally impressive, as they hosted their first Super Regional as the No. 2 overall seed. They are currently 5-0 in the NCAA Tournament and will begin play in the MCWS on Saturday afternoon against NC State. Their 45 total wins tie the school record set in 2012.
Kentucky’s success in SEC play can be attributed to their strong performance in conference games. The Wildcats led the league in SEC-only batting average, ranked third in SEC-only fielding percentage, and fifth in SEC-only ERA. Only Texas A&M also ranked in the top five in all three major categories in conference play. Additionally, the Cats led the league in on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, sac bunts, sac flies, and stolen bases. Ryan Waldschmidt led the league in doubles and stolen bases in SEC play, and ranked top-five in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, and hits. Ryan Nicholson provided significant power, ranking top-five in slugging percentage, home runs, and RBIs in SEC play.