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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Big Time Coaches, Little League Sons
8/17/2007 | Football
By Whitney Tarpy
Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant
Seeing Ole Miss baseball head coach Mike Bianco at a baseball stadium is nothing out of the ordinary. Once his team’s season comes to an end and summer sets in, though, Bianco’s behavior and appearance at the ballpark begins to look a little different than that at Swayze Field. He’s not yelling at the players, not arguing with the umpires and not decked out in his regular gameday attire.
Although the baseball field is not his usual territory at Ole Miss, head football coach Ed Orgeron can be seen around the diamond in the summer but with a demeanor much less fiery than on the gridiron. Instead, Orgeron sits in the stands and lets others do the coaching.
Why the change in personalities for these two coaches? It’s because they are doing the job that they have year-round that receives no pay or media attention, being a dad.
“It’s a neat thing and a thing that I really enjoy, just to grab my lawn chair and sit down on the rightfield line or leftfield line and just be a dad,” said Bianco, whose sons Michael and Ben participate in Dizzy Dean baseball in Oxford and have both seen success with their respective teams this summer.
Orgeron’s sons Cody and Parker also take part in the league, and the Rebel football coach caught a few of the boys’ games during his time off.
“One of my most enjoyable times this summer was watching our boys play baseball and I was able to be a parent,” said Orgeron. “We caught a pre-game meal and watched them get fired up going to the game. We enjoyed sitting in the stands and seeing them have success, while also seeing them grow up and learning how much it meant for them to be a part of the team.”
Michael Bianco plays on the same 11-year-old Oxford All-Star team as Brooks Krouse, son of David Krouse, Director of Rebel Sports Marketing and assistant coach for the team. The 11-year-old Oxford Rebels recently won the state tournament after coming out of the loser bracket to defend the title that they won the previous season as 10-year-olds. The boys then competed in the World Series in
Not long after the 11-year-old All-Stars had to end their season, the nine-year-old All-Stars, which consists of Cody and Parker Orgeron, Ben Bianco and Christopher Sandroni, son of Stan Sandroni of the Ole Miss Radio Network, took the field with their chance to play in the state tournament in
Coach Bianco said that these All-Star games are some of the most enjoyable baseball of his year. He may not serve as a coach, but sometimes his presence finds its way to the field.
“I try not to interfere,” said Bianco. “I like to sit down the line, kind of keep to myself and watch the game, but I’ll occasionally between innings walk up to the dugout and make a comment or two to help and be supportive.”
These summer games give the coaches a chance to fit in more with the everyday crowd rather than playing their usual roles as Ole Miss figureheads.
“The thing I enjoy the most is being able to be a parent and being able to sit down and support my kids,” said Orgeron. “I've met other parents and it's not like 'Hey, Coach O,' it's 'Hey, Ed, how you doing?' It's just being another parent and going through the same things with my sons like finding out what position they want to play and the competition they face.”
Having such a familiar name in athletics, there is no doubt that the kids feel pressure to compete to the best of their abilities.
“Sure, I think there is pressure,” said Bianco, “and especially when you are playing baseball and you are the baseball coach’s son. Fortunately for me, though, they are pretty good.”
Fortunately for Ole Miss, the school has coaches that support their family on and off every field.