50 Names To Watch On The 2023 College Baseball Coaching Market

Image credit: Scott Stricklin (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As the regular season came to an end last week, coaching changes started to come in a flurry. Already, there are three SEC job openings and several other programs around the country are actively conducting job searches.

All of that indicates another busy summer of coaching changes. The last two years have been hyperactive, with more than 40 changes in both years. That’s more than 10% of the sport’s head coaching jobs turning over on an annual basis and it appears to be heading that way again this year.

As the coaching market heats up, Baseball America presents its annual list of coaches to watch this summer as all the changes play out.

Dan McDonnell, head coach, Louisville: Well, let’s just dive right into this thing, shall we? McDonnell built Louisville into a national power, has led the program to Omaha five times and has a seven-year rolling contract (it has an annual option to extend) that’s worth more than $1.25 million a year and grows annually. It was designed, according to former athletic director Vince Tyra, to keep McDonnell at the program’s helm for the rest of his career. So, what is he doing on this list? He took a stab at explaining that himself at the end of the season, when reporters in Louisville asked him about his future following the Cardinals’ final game. He started by saying that he always expects to remain in Louisville, but he also has certain expectations.

“I’ve been very vocal and challenging over the last 12 months,” he said. “Just look at the writing on the wall. You look at where this program has been, you walk through the dugouts, you walk under the stadium, you see what differently have we done since 2000-whatever. We want to be here. We love it here. But again, I want to work for people and be with people that want to win as well. Don’t tell me you want to win; show me you want to win. That’s all I ask for. I think our fans ask for that. I think our players ask for that. I’ve been recruiting these kids, they’ve been committed since their eighth, ninth, 10th grade year. Well, they showed up on campus and they haven’t seen a whole lot different. We said it was going to be different, we promised them it would be different, but it’s not different.

“As my phrase was at the leadoff banquet, are you interested or are you committed? I want to be at a place that’s committed when it’s all said and done. Because the kids were recruited to be at a place that’s committed. Ultimately, we’re trying to get to Omaha and win a national championship. It ain’t going to happen unless we make a full commitment.”

Since then, Louisville athletic director Josh Heird told Louisville Report that he “touched base” with McDonnell and said, “we’re committed to making sure he has what he needs to compete for championships.” Now, we’re left to wonder if there is a place that’s willing to be more committed to McDonnell and his program than Louisville. There are three SEC openings, most notably at Georgia. McDonnell has made his position clear and, maybe, after 17 years at Louisville, now is the time to make a move.

Brian O’Connor, head coach, Virginia: McDonnell is the name that comes up most frequently as a potential splashy hire for a prominent program, but O’Connor was a part of the search process at both LSU in 2021 and Texas in 2016. He wound up staying both times and in 2021 signed an extension through 2027. O’Connor, 52, won the 2015 national championship and has taken the Cavaliers to Omaha five times. He’s been at Virginia for 20 years and hiring him away wouldn’t be easy. But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another blue blood make a run at it.

Cliff Godwin, head coach, East Carolina: Godwin’s name is sure to come up for any SEC opening. He’s been involved in searches at Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU in the past and while it hasn’t worked out at any of those places for a variety of reasons, expect to see him again connected with nearly any opening in the conference. Godwin, however, very much wants to get his alma mater to the College World Series for the first time in program history. Would he be more open to leaving if the Pirates reach Omaha? He has a good thing going in Greenville and last year signed a contract extension through 2029, but he’ll also continue to be highly sought after in the job market.

Tom Walter, head coach, Wake Forest: Walter has built Wake over the last 13 years and this year the program has risen to another level. The Demon Deacons rose to No. 1 for the first time in program history, won the ACC for the first time since 1963 and are aiming for their first CWS appearance since 1955. Walter is in a comfortable spot at Wake Forest, a program he’s now built into a power and that has invested heavily into the program. He’s mostly coached at elite private schools (George Washington, Wake) and he’s not going to find a bigger, better job that fits that profile in this year’s job market (he also stopped at New Orleans for five seasons). But if a high-end powerhouse came to Walter with a big offer, could Wake match it?

Mark Wasikowski, head coach, Oregon: Wasikowski has done excellent work at Oregon since taking over following the 2019 season. The Ducks in 2021 hosted a regional and have made the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons. Wasikowski, 52, signed a significant contract extension in 2021 and it would take something special to pull him out of Eugene. But he’s built a strong track record of success throughout his career and has experience in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC.

Chris Pollard, head coach, Duke: Pollard has taken a dormant program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1968 and turned it into a consistent regional team. Duke this year was in the mix to host regionals and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in six seasons. That success came after Pollard took Appalachian State to a regional final. After those turnarounds, he should be getting looks for premium jobs.

Rob Vaughn, head coach, Maryland: Vaughn, 35, has turned the Terrapins into the Big Ten’s wrecking ball and has been named the conference’s coach of the year in consecutive years. Maryland, which hadn’t won a conference title in 51 years, has now won the Big Ten in back-to-back seasons and last year hosted regionals for the first time in program history. Maryland, however, is not an easy job and its facilities lag behind other top programs in the conference. The Terrapins’ two previous head coaches parlayed their success into jobs at more resourced programs—Erik Bakich at Michigan and John Szefc at Virginia Tech. Maryland is a better job today than it was when they left, but Vaughn could draw interest from some high-level programs.

Justin Haire, head coach, Campbell: Haire has guided Campbell to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s turned the Camels into a premier mid-major program, achieving both on-field success and developing high-end talent like 2022 All-American Zach Neto. He’s never worked in a major conference, but his program building has him ready to make the jump.

Lane Burroughs, head coach, Louisiana Tech: Burroughs led Louisiana Tech to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021-22 and the Bulldogs hosted regionals in 2021. They’re not quite on that level this season, but Burroughs has done a good job of building La Tech and he also has experience in the SEC as an assistant coach. Burroughs is a part of the John Cohen coaching tree, which has been a popular one in recent job searches. He last year was heavily in the mix at Baylor before signing an extension and staying in Ruston. Still, a school in the Big 12 or SEC that prioritizes head-coaching experience would do well to take a look at Burroughs.

Jordan Bischel, head coach, Central Michigan: Bischel, 41, has a unique combination of youth and experience. He’s already been a head coach for 11 seasons and has won in NAIA, Division II and now Division I. In five seasons at CMU, he’s made three regionals appearances (its first since 1995) and won three Mid-American Conference titles, though the Chippewas weren’t quite at the same level this season. With a history of quick turnarounds, Bischel makes for a strong candidate around the Midwest.

Patrick Hallmark, head coach, Texas-San Antonio: Hallmark, 49, has put together an impressive track record as a head coach first at Incarnate Word and now at UTSA. The Roadrunners have won 38 games in back-to-back seasons and this year finished as runners-up in Conference USA, their best conference finish since winning the Southland in 2008. He was a longtime assistant coach for Wayne Graham at Rice and spent a season as an assistant at Missouri. UTSA this summer is on the move to the American Athletic Conference and is trending up, but it’s still a tough job and Hallmark could earn looks from bigger programs.

Todd Interdonato, head coach, Wofford: Interdonato has been the head coach at Wofford for 16 years and has built the program into one of the best in the Southern Conference. The Terriers last year won their first-ever regular season conference title and this year have won more than 35 games for the fifth straight season, which had been done just once before in program history. Interdonato runs a very aggressive offensive style and has succeeded despite the challenges of coaching at a selective, private school. His whole career has been spent in the Carolinas, but his style and track record should play in any region.

Jose Vazquez, head coach, Alabama State: Vazquez was promoted to head coach seven years ago and has won four Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season titles, including the last two. He’s been named SWAC coach of the year in back-to-back seasons as well. Vazquez is a strong recruiter who helped build powerhouses at Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State and now has kept the Hornets as one of the top programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Omar Johnson, head coach, Jackson State: Johnson has been the head coach at Jackson State since 2007 and has not had a losing season in 17 years. He’s led the Tigers to two NCAA Tournaments (2013-14) and has won the division seven times. Johnson’s teams play an exciting, aggressive style of baseball that regularly puts them among the national leaders in stolen bases. He’s got a good thing going at Jackson State, but if he wants a new challenge, he deserves a long look.

Alex Sogard, head coach, Wright State: The last three Wright State head coaches have left for jobs in major conferences: Rob Cooper (Penn State), Greg Lovelady (Central Florida) and Jeff Mercer (Indiana). Sogard, 35, figures to follow a similar path. He’s led the Raiders to four straight Horizon League titles and back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Sogard is one of the 15 youngest coaches in the country but both Lovelady and Mercer were also very young when they moved on.

Jeff Duncan, head coach, Kent State: Duncan this year led Kent State to the Mid-American Conference title, its fourth in his nine seasons as head coach. Kent State’s last five head coaches (Bob Moran, Bob Todd, Danny Hall, Rick Rembielak and Scott Stricklin) all left for jobs in Power Five conferences. Now, Duncan is on a similar track.

Brian Green, head coach, Washington State: Green hasn’t taken the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in his four seasons at Washington State, but he has led the Cougars to a winning record in three straight seasons, which hadn’t happened in Pullman since 2006-10. He’s also had success at New Mexico State, where he coached Nick Gonzales and led the Aggies to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Washington State is a tough job and there is interest in Green on the market. This might be his time to make a move.

Eddie Smith, head coach, Utah Valley: Smith this season, his second at Utah Valley, led the Wolverines to 34 wins and an appearance in the WAC Tournament championship game. It marked UVU’s first winning season since 2016 and a massive turnaround as the Wolverines won no more than 18 games in the six previous seasons. Smith, 39, is young and just starting his head coaching career, but he has an impressive resume as an assistant, working at LSU, Tulane, Notre Dame, Santa Clara and Virginia. He also was a head coach at Lower Columbia (Wash.) JC for four seasons. Smith could quickly work his way into bigger jobs.

Mike Silva, head coach, Nicholls State: Silva, in his second season at Nicholls, this year led the Colonels to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998 and their first regular season conference title as a Division I program. Prior to his arrival, Nicholls hadn’t had a winning season since 2017, but he’s quickly turned it around in the Southland Conference. Silva previously was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State and Texas State and also spent a year as a professional scout.

Reggie Christiansen, head coach, Sacramento State: Over the last decade, Christiansen, 47, has built Sac State into one of the most consistent programs in California. It’s the only program in the state to have won 30 games every season since 2012, and he’s led the Hornets to their only three NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. His roots in California and the Midwest (as an assistant coach at Kansas and head coach at South Dakota State) make for an interesting profile, especially with the Wichita State job open.

Billy O’Connor, head coach, Xavier: O’Conner, 36, took over his alma mater in 2017, following six years as an assistant coach. He’s led the Musketeers to more than 30 wins in back-to-back seasons and this year they made the NCAA Tournament. He’s one of the youngest coaches in college baseball and has the look of a rising star.

Randy Hood, head coach, UNC Wilmington: Hood, 54, is in his fourth season as head coach at UNCW and this year led the Seahawks to both the CAA regular season and tournament titles, the first time they did the double since 2016. He’s spent nearly his entire career with the Seahawks, save for six years at Campbell, his alma mater. It probably wouldn’t be easy to pull him out of Wilmington, but he’s a well-respected coach with a strong track record of success that would be worth a look, especially in the Carolinas.

John Yurkow, head coach, Pennsylvania: Yurkow has led Penn for a decade and in the last two years has taken the Quakers to another level. They last year reached 30 wins for the first time in program history. This year, they’ve again hit the milestone but taken it to the next step, winning the Ivy League regular season and tournament titles and are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. Yurkow got a contract extension a year ago, but he makes for an intriguing candidate.

Jason Jackson, interim head coach, Alabama: Jackson took over as interim head coach following Brad Bohannon’s firing on May 4. The Crimson Tide finished the regular season on an 11-4 run and played their way into hosting for the first time since 2006. That could make Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne’s impending decision tougher. Jackson is a well-respected pitching coach who has a strong track record both at Alabama and Florida Atlantic. If he doesn’t stay at Alabama, he’d be worth a look for other head coaching jobs.

Jake Gautreau, recruiting coordinator/hitting coach, Mississippi State: Gautreau, 43, is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the country, both as a recruiter and as a hitting coach. He helped the Bulldogs win the 2021 College World Series, though the last two seaons have not been good in Starkville. That may complicate his market some, but there’s no denying that he has strong potential as a head coach.

Sean Allen, associate head coach, Ohio State: Allen, 43, has a long, successful track record as an assistant coach. This is his first year at Ohio State and he’s previously worked at Texas, Tulane, Sam Houston State, Houston and Florida International. He has worked as both a hitting and pitching coach, and his experience in a variety of roles should help him make the jump to being a head coach. He’s drawn serious looks for head jobs in recent years and should again this summer.

Nate Thompson, recruiting coordinator/hitting coach, Arkansas: Thompson is in his sixth season at Arkansas, and he has an impressive track record as a hitting coach and recruiter not just with the Razorbacks, but also at Missouri State. Thompson checks a lot of boxes and will eventually become the newest branch of Dave Van Horn’s coaching tree.

Kevin McMullan, recruiting coordinator, Virginia: McMullan, the 2009 Assistant Coach of the Year, has been voted by head coaches as the assistant coach with the brightest future as a head coach each of the last three times Baseball America has held the survey, most recently in 2020. He’s been Virginia’s recruiting coordinator for the last 19 years and helped the Cavaliers win the 2015 national championship. McMullan is clearly comfortable in Charlottesville, but there’s little doubt he’d be successful as a head coach.

Nick Schnabel, assistant head coach, Clemson: Schnabel, the 2019 Assistant Coach of the Year, played a key role in building Michigan before last summer following Erik Bakich to Clemson. As Michigan’s recruiting coordinator, he put together the Wolverines’ 10th-ranked 2017 class, the highest-ranked class in Big Ten history. This year, he’s helped Clemson engineer a big turnaround that earned the Tigers a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. He’s in a good spot at Clemson but is on a track to be a head coach.

Jimmy Belanger, pitching coach, Clemson: Belanger is in his first season at Clemson and helped the Tigers this season win the ACC Tournament. He’s previously coached at Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland and Monmouth, earning strong reviews along the way. His experience in the ACC, SEC and Big Ten makes for a strong, all-around profile.

Bryant Ward, recruiting coordinator, UCLA: Ward has become one of the best recruiting coordinators on the West Coast, first at Loyola Marymount, where he landed the school’s first Top 25 class in 15 years, and now at UCLA, where he hauled in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class in 2021. John Savage’s assistant coaches have a strong track record as head coaches and Ward figures to one day add a branch to his coaching tree.

Mike Clement, hitting coach, Mississippi: Clement has been the hitting coach at Ole Miss for nine years and has helped the Rebels consistently become one of the best offenses in the country. He previously worked at Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas-San Antonio and would be an especially strong candidate in that part of the country, but after nine years in the SEC he has a strong overall profile, particularly after helping Ole Miss to the national championship a year ago.

Eric Snider, recruiting coordinator, Louisville: Snider has long been a well-respected assistant coach. He’s been on staff at Louisville for nine years, following 16 years at Illinois. He earns praise for his ability as both a recruiter and hitting coach. His Midwestern roots make him a strong candidate in the region.

Nate Yeskie, associate head coach, Texas A&M: Yeskie, 48, is one of the best pitching coaches in the country. His work at A&M, Arizona and Oregon State over the last 15 years has been impressive. He helped recruit and coach the Beavers during their remarkable run from 2017-19 that included the 2018 national title and Adley Rutchman’s emergence as the 2019 Player of the Year. Yeskie’s approach and embrace of new analytics and technology should help him eventually transition to running a program.

Josh Jordan, recruiting coordinator, LSU: Jordan, the 2018 Assistant Coach of the Year, played a key role in building Duke before last summer moving to LSU. He recruited three Top 25 classes at Duke, the only three in program history, including a top-10 class in 2021. He this year added SEC experience to his resume. While he’s in a good spot and only just got to Baton Rouge a year ago, both of LSU’s assistants last season landed head coaching jobs in major conferences (Dan Fitzgerald, Kansas and Jason Kelly, Washington), so perhaps Jordan, 43, could make a similar move.

Jeff Palumbo, associate head coach, East Carolina: Palumbo is in his ninth season at ECU and has helped the program develop into the class of the American Athletic Conference. He’s twice landed top 25 recruiting classes—the only two in program history—and those classes have delivered for the Pirates. The more ECU wins, the more attention Palumbo will get.

Bill Cilento, associate head coach, Wake Forest: Cilento is in his 13th season at Wake Forest and 15th overall on staff with coach Tom Walter. As recruiting coordinator, he’s played a key role in building the Demon Deacons’ top-ranked team, including their first-ever Top 25 classes. With Wake rising to No. 1 for the first time in program history, Cilento is in a good spot, but he’s also positioned himself for big opportunities.

Chuck Jeroloman, assistant coach, Florida: Jeroloman, 40, is in his fourth season on staff at Florida, where he works with the hitters and in the recruiting efforts. He this spring helped the Gators win the SEC title and last fall signed a top-10 class. Prior to his time at Florida, he worked at Jacksonville and South Florida. Jeroloman is in a great spot as an assistant, but his experience in the Sunshine State would be an asset for many jobs.

Karl Nonemaker, recruiting coordinator, Auburn: Nonemaker, 43, is in his sixth season as recruiting coordinator at Auburn. He’s a well-respected recruiter and has twice helped the Tigers land top-10 classes. He’s helped Auburn’s rise in recent years, as the Tigers went to Omaha in 2019 and 2022 and have now hosted regionals in back-to-back seasons. Nonemaker previously was an assistant coach at Old Dominion and Monmouth. It’s only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job.

Drew Dickinson, pitching coach, Virginia: Dickinson is in his fourth season as pitching coach at Virginia after spending eight years on staff at Illinois, his alma mater. He’s a well-respected pitching coach whose experience as a recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest would put him in the mix for a variety of programs.

Thomas Eager, recruiting coordinator, Stanford: Eager is in his sixth season at Stanford and eighth overall on staff with coach David Esquer, having followed him from California. He’s well respected as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and has helped the Cardinal advance to the College World Series in back-to-back seasons, as well as win consecutive Pac-12 titles. He’s in a good spot at Stanford, but his time as a head coach is coming.

Derek Simmons, recruiting coordinator, Indiana: Simmons, 36, has built an impressive, varied resume as an assistant coach, working at Central Michigan, Kennesaw State, Alabama, Kent State and Indiana. His experience in the Mid-American Conference is especially relevant this summer with four jobs in the league open. Simmons is in his fourth season at IU and in a good spot, but his time as a head coach is coming.

Jake Angier, pitching coach, Oregon: Angier is in his fourth season at Oregon and has helped the Ducks to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including this year’s Pac-12 Tournament title. He previously served in the same role at Sacramento State, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Angier’s ties through the upper Midwest and the West Coast, as well as his staff’s consistent success, make him an intriguing candidate.

Noah Jackson, recruiting coordinator, California: Jackson has been an assistant on Mike Neu’s staff for the last seven years, first at Pacific and now at Cal. He’s helped recruit and coach some high-level talent for the Golden Bears. Jackson, 41, is in a good spot at his alma mater, but he’s building a strong resume.

Thomas Walker, associate head coach, San Jose State: Walker this season helped San Jose State reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. He’s in his fourth season with the Spartans after getting hired from the junior college ranks. He’s a strong recruiter and hitting coach.

Scott Stricklin: Stricklin was fired as head coach of Georgia following the season, his 10th at the program’s helm. While he never truly got Georgia firing on all cylinders, he still has a solid overall track record as a head coach and his experience would be an asset to many programs. He took Kent State to the College World Series in 2012 and has a 632-399-1 record in 19 seasons. Stricklin, 51, should get another solid opportunity as a head coach if he wants it.

Troy Tulowitzki: After 14 years in the big leagues, Tulowitzki retired and joined the coaching staff at Texas as a volunteer assistant coach. He worked with the Longhorns for three seasons before stepping away from the role after the 2022 season. Tulowitzki also has coached with USA Baseball in a variety of roles. He has a unique resume and wants to be a head coach. Finding the right fit will be key.

Steve Bieser: Bieser was fired as head coach of Missouri following the season, his seventh at the program’s helm. While he never got the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament—something they haven’t done since 2012, their last season in the Big 12—he has a solid head coaching track record. In 11 seasons between Mizzou and Southeast Missouri State, he’s 326-252-1. If he wants to be a head coach again, a Midwestern program would do well to hire him.

Rob Cooper: Cooper stepped down as head coach at Penn State following the season, his 10th in State College. While his tenure at PSU didn’t produce high-end results, he’s been a head coach for 19 years and has worked with USA Baseball. That experience would be an asset for many programs. Prior to taking over at PSU, he led Wright State to the NCAA Tournament three times.

Rob Childress: Childress, 54, spent 16 seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M before being let go in 2021 following a last-place finish in the SEC West. Prior to that, however, Childress had led the Aggies to 13 straight regionals and two College World Series appearances. For the last two seasons, he’s been the director of player development at Nebraska, where he previously was an assistant coach from 1998-2005. If he wants another job as a head coach, he’d bring plenty of winning experience to his new program.