UC hires Jordan Bischel as new baseball coach to lead Bearcats into Big 12

Less than a month after the resignation of Scott Googins as University of Cincinnati baseball coach, Athletic Director John Cunningham has a new skipper to lead the Bearcats into the Big 12. On Father's Day UC announced Jordan Bischel as head baseball coach, a job he recently held with Central Michigan.

It was quite the Father's Day present for the dad of three sons.

The head coach of the Chippewas is 42 and 177-80 in five seasons with three NCAA tournament appearances. He previously coached at Division II Northwood and at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.

Bischel's baseball background

Bischel is a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin and has a 314-156 record (.668) as an NCAA coach, including nine winning seasons and eight conference championships (four at Central Michigan, four at Northwood). "Jordan Bischel is the perfect fit to lead the University of Cincinnati baseball program and we are thrilled to welcome he and his family to UC," Cunningham said. "As a head coach, he has won conference championships and consistently guided his teams to the postseason. He's a proven program builder and winner who has found success at every level. He is a leader who will demand the best on and off the field of our student-athletes. We couldn't be happier to have him as our head coach." Bischel led the Chippewas to four Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships, two regular season and two tournament plus three NCAA Regionals. "I couldn't be happier and more excited to be the head baseball coach at the University of Cincinnati," Bischel said. "I'm honored to be part of this incredible athletic department. I'm looking forward to building this program and contending for championships in the Big 12. I was impressed right away by John Cunningham's overall vision and have always loved everything about this city. It was going to take an incredibly special opportunity for our family to leave Central Michigan. This is that opportunity. "I can't wait to get started working with our student-athletes on and off the field."

In five seasons as head coach at CMU, Bischel had a 102-32 MAC record and posted three consecutive 40-win full seasons for the first time since 1986-88. Bischel's teams won a combined 132 games in 2019, '21 and '22, marking the winningest three-year stretch in program history.

Chippin' away with the Chippewas

Bischel's CMU teams went a combined 31-8 against the five other Michigan Division I programs, Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Oakland, and Bischel led his Chippewas to 12 victories over opponents from Power Five conferences. CMU finished 34-23 this past season.

In 2022, the Chippewas were 43-19, including 30-7 for in second place in the MAC. They made a remarkable run to the league tournament crown, starting 1-1 and then winning three consecutive elimination games, the final two against host and regular season champion Ball State.That put the Chippewas in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, where they went 1-2 and bowed to No. 13-ranked Florida in the Gators' home stadium in Gainesville.The Chippewas posted a 42-18 ledger in 2021, capped by a 2-2 finish in the NCAA Regional in South Bend, Ind. The Chippewas were the No. 4 seed in the four-team tournament and posted victories over No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 UConn.The 2019 squad posted a 47-14 mark, an 18-win improvement over the 2018 squad, and a dramatic 6-5 victory over Miami (Fla.) in an NCAA Regional game in Starkville, Miss. It was CMU's first NCAA Tournament victory since 1988.

How the UC job came available

Scott Googins resigned after a 24-33 finish this spring and just one winning season out of the last six. The Bearcats were 29-26 in 2021. Before that you have to go back to the 2011 team coached by Brian Cleary that went 30-27.

The Bearcats finished the 2023 season short-handed on coaches as Director of Baseball Operations Andy Nagel and hitting coach Kyle Sprague were terminated May 17 after an internal investigation that began May 8 found possible NCAA infractions.

Those were related to a gambling scandal involving the parent of a UC player, Bert Neff. UC's internal investigation found none of the Bearcat coaches were involved with gambling but Nagel and Sprague had knowledge of Neff's activities and didn't report. Neff is also tied to the firing of Alabama coach Brian Bohannon over a bet placed at BetMGM sportsbook at Great American Ball Park favoring LSU to beat Alabama. The Ohio Casino Control Commission continues that investigation.

Bischel's official greeting

UC will hold a press conference later this week at a day and time to be determined. Bischel gets a six-year contract and is the 33rd Bearcat baseball coach in program history. Former Central Michigan coaches of note that have made their way to UC are from the gridiron: Brian Kelly and Butch Jones.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC AD Cunningham hires new baseball skipper for Big 12 Bearcats