Updated Coaching Search - 6/3/2021- D1 Baseball

[OldTimer]

Only posting the LSU and Texas A&M searches.........

• If you’re looking for clarity on the LSU coaching search right now, you’re out of luck, at least for a while. LSU is about to compete in the Eugene Regional, and some of the Tigers’ other candidates also are playing this weekend. Let’s cut to the chase, the target in this one still 100 percent appears to be Florida long-time head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. Sources tell D1Baseball there is serious, mutual interest between the two parties, but both the Gators and Tigers could be playing for a while in the postseason, so we’re not going to find out anything for certain until that point. If not O’Sullivan, East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin is in the mix, and perhaps the Tigers will choose to reach out to Ole Miss skipper and former LSU catcher Mike Bianco. Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello is another candidate to watch, but frankly, there just hasn’t been much buzz in Baton Rouge about his potential candidacy, and that might mean their sights are set elsewhere. Overall, after reeling in Jimbo Fisher at A&M and Kim Mulkey at LSU, never underestimate Scott Woodward’s ability to bring in the ultimate splash hire. For now, the attention is on O’Sullivan. but don’t put it past Woodward to have a surprise fish on the line.

• Texas A&M parted ways with long-time head coach Rob Childress a couple of weeks ago, and the Aggies are already well into their coaching search. We listed the candidates for this job as TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle, Tennessee’s Tony Vitello, and East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin when our original candidate's list came out, and nothing has changed on that front. With all three coaches playing in the postseason, the Aggies will tap the brakes on their coaching search for the next week or so. But the smart money, for now, is on Schlossnagle, who has had a great deal of success at TCU, but who also has coveted SEC jobs, hence his flirtation with the Mississippi State job a couple of seasons ago. It’s looking more and more like Vitello will stay put at Tennessee this summer, while Schlossnagle could be making a short drive down Highway 6.

 

[OldTimer]

TIFWIW, I've always dogged D1 Baseball in the past for getting coaching searches wrong so I'm not sure how accurate the above information is.........but it makes for good press.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

You LOVE to see it!

He ain’t leaving.

 

[matts42012]

Awesome. D1 is really good. Wish they would expand to recruiting

 

[VolnJC]

So if O'Sullivan leaves who would Florida look at, is there a big name out there coaching with ties to the program or area?

 

[OldTimer]

So if O'Sullivan leaves who would Florida look at, is there a big name out there coaching with ties to the program or area?

a brand new ballpark, never need to leave the state to recruit, rich in tradition, and terrible fan support from the community. it's a top-level job for the right person.....

 

[TheMookieMonster]

a brand new ballpark, never need to leave the state to recruit, rich in tradition, and terrible fan support from the community. it's a top-level job for the right person.....

I'll never understand why the Florida fanbase is so disinterested in baseball. Florida is a huge state for high school baseball, rich with talent as you said. You'd think that alone would create a wealth of interest in the state school and desire to go see them play.

 

[OldTimer]

I'll never understand why the Florida fanbase is so disinterested in baseball. Florida is a huge state for high school baseball, rich with talent as you said. You'd think that alone would create a wealth of interest in the state school and desire to go see them play.

I'm guessing because it's hotter than heck down there.........

 

[fryeguy93]

I'll never understand why the Florida fanbase is so disinterested in baseball. Florida is a huge state for high school baseball, rich with talent as you said. You'd think that alone would create a wealth of interest in the state school and desire to go see them play.

Even during the national title seasons; the local fanbase was disinterested in basketball as well.

 

[Bigun]

You LOVE to see it!

He ain’t leaving.

Well, if TCU job opens up they will likely have CTV in their top 3 candidates.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Well, if TCU job opens up they will likely have CTV in their top 3 candidates.

TCU is not a better job than Tennessee.

 

[Bigun]

TCU is not a better job than Tennessee.

They are consistently in the regionals/Supers and are now in the big 12.

Plus Vitello was there for 3 years.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

They are consistently in the regionals/Supers and are now in the big 12.

Plus Vitello was there for 3 years.

And Tennessee has now made the last 2 regionals that have been held. That’s changing. The Big 12 is a worse baseball conference. Why do you think Schlossnagle might leave for TAMU?

Recent success doesn’t make something a better job. If TV wouldn’t leave for TAMU I doubt he’d leave for TCU. JMO.

 

[Volfan1000]

I'll never understand why the Florida fanbase is so disinterested in baseball. Florida is a huge state for high school baseball, rich with talent as you said. You'd think that alone would create a wealth of interest in the state school and desire to go see them play.

You can find any type of sports talent in Florida whether it be high school football, basketball or baseball.

 

[6-4-3]

So if O'Sullivan leaves who would Florida look at, is there a big name out there coaching with ties to the program or area?

Gruden

 

[Bigun]

And Tennessee has now made the last 2 regionals that have been held. That’s changing. The Big 12 is a worse baseball conference. Why do you think Schlossnagle might leave for TAMU?

Recent success doesn’t make something a better job. If TV wouldn’t leave for TAMU I doubt he’d leave for TCU. JMO.

Hope so...but Ehlander also played there and Vitello coached there. Never know the pull that type 9f stuff has.

 

[AthensVol2007]

I'll never understand why the Florida fanbase is so disinterested in baseball. Florida is a huge state for high school baseball, rich with talent as you said. You'd think that alone would create a wealth of interest in the state school and desire to go see them play.

It’s not just baseball, it’s all sports. I think it can be attributed to a number of things.

1) Location - Jacksonville is the closest metro area that’s likely full of alumni and it’s still 1.5 hrs away (Orlando, Tampa & Tallahassee are all 2+ hrs away). 2 hrs isn’t too far to travel but when that’s your closest it’s not like Knoxville where you can draw fans from an MSA of 850k people within 30 miles of campus.

2) Amenities/Events - this shouldn’t matter if you love sports and doesn’t apply to those who do but if you’re on the fence or a lukewarm sports fan and no matter where you live in the state you’re never more than an hour from the beach for all activities that come with that, most are within 2.5 hrs of double digit theme parks, numerous concerts due to the number of major cities, 3 NFL teams, 2 MLB teams, 2 NBA teams, 2 NHL teams there’s always something competing for your $ and time. Look at the way Arkansas draws for all sports, Miss St/OM have great fan support, relative to their success or place in the pecking order, because they’re the only games in town.

3) Population demographics - they’re a large school over the last 30 years so the alumni base is big & getting bigger but so many residents of FL aren’t from FL and have no ties to the state, let alone the school. If you’ve relocated from the Midwest, live 2.5 hrs away and your only tie to the school is your kid goes there now are you invested enough to travel & spend $ on sporting events every weekend? Some perhaps yes, the majority I would say no. Speaking strictly for myself, I’ve lived in 5 states and have never taken even a passive interest in following any “local” university outside of my two Alma mater’s. I started grad school at Clemson one Fall and even going to school there at the time I couldn’t get into them, I would drive 3 hrs to Knoxville every other weekend for games instead of sticking around for free football that I could walk to (I transferred after one semester and despise Clemson today). Not sure it means much, but roughly 3.5% of TN residents attended UT (225k alumni/6.9M pop) compared to 1.25% of FL residents attending UF. Not that you have to be an alumni to be a fan but when the overwhelming majority of your non-alumni residents have no historical/generational ties to the state then I think they’re less likely to start following the state’s flagship university (especially given the number of D-1 schools UF is competing with for fandom).

 

[LA vol7]

I wouldn’t think it is hotter in Gainesville than Tallahassee, or Auburn, or Mobile, some towns just aren’t baseball towns I guess, but Knoxville is!

 

[LA vol7]

I wouldn’t think it is hotter in Gainesville than Tallahassee, or Auburn, or Mobile, some towns just aren’t baseball towns I guess, but Knoxville is!