Former Clemson coach Monte Lee opens up about dismissal from Tigers
Former Clemson baseball coach Monte Lee is still processing the news that he’ll no longer be coaching the Tigers.
Clemson athletic director Graham Neff announced Lee’s dismissal on Tuesday, firing the coach after seven years with the program. Neff made it clear that Lee’s firing wasn’t a personal decision but rather a reflection of two straight years of missing the NCAA tournament and the desire for the Clemson program to consistently vie for super regionals and College World Series appearances.
Lee spoke to The State this week about his dismissal, his time at Clemson and what the next coaching stop could be for him. Lee, 45, has spent his entire baseball career in South Carolina, playing at the College of Charleston, serving as an assistant at Spartanburg Methodist and South Carolina, and coaching his alma mater for seven seasons in Charleston before taking over for Jack Leggett at Clemson in 2016.
Lee was 242-136 (102-86 ACC) in seven seasons as Clemson’s coach, which included four trips to the NCAA tournament from 2016-19, as well as the ACC Championship in 2016.
Here’s what Lee had to say.
Did you have any inkling this was coming? How did it unfold for you over the last few days and weeks?
Lee: “We had a tough season in ‘21. And coming into ‘22, listen: Any coach that’s in this profession understands the world that we live in and that expectations are high at a place like Clemson. When the season ended, the way it ended, we felt like we were in great shape to get into the postseason going into the ACC tournament, but we needed to play well in the tournament because we were probably right there on the bubble. When that didn’t happen, I felt like we were probably not going to get into the postseason. You always know, at that point, there could be a change in my position.
“I didn’t know that it was going to happen, or anything like that. But you certainly know, as a coach being in this business that change was possible. I wasn’t given any indicator or anything like that, but I wouldn’t expect to be given one. I knew that the way the season ended, that it could be a possibility. And so when I was let go, I understood. I think that’s the best way that I would put it. I understood, just because I know the business that we’re in, and I know the expectations at a school like Clemson.”
Once you found out that you’d been let go, what’s the process like as far as informing the players and those conversations? What’s it like just saying goodbye to the team that you’ve coached through these last several years?
Lee: “The administration, the way they handled it, I really appreciated that. When they let me go, they gave me the opportunity to meet with the team and tell the team goodbye, which I really appreciated. And it was tough. It was really tough. That was the hardest part, probably the hardest part of the last couple of days, was the meeting with the team. It was just telling the team goodbye and how much I loved them, how much I appreciated them, how much they mean to me, how excited I am to see those guys that will be here next year and I hope that they they achieve their goals. I recruited these kids, so I have great relationships with all of them. I want them to be successful. So that was really the main message: I hope you guys get the opportunity to dogpile and do great things.
“I told them I felt like I’d let them down, that I failed. The fact that I was being let go means that I let them down. So it was just tough. It was a tough, tough meeting just because I felt like I disappointed and let the players down by not putting them in a position to win more games. But I got a chance to hug every one of them. I got a lot of texts and things like that from former players and coaches, which is just greatly appreciated.
“The baseball community is such a great one and we’re very, very close. All of us coaches are very, very close, and we know the business we’re in. It’s a tough business. But look, I’m excited for whoever gets the opportunity to be the next head coach (at Clemson). I’m gonna be a huge supporter of them. I’m obviously not going to get in the way or be a distraction or anything like that. But I want them to be successful because the kids that are in the program are guys that I have relationships with, and I want the program to be successful. This is a great place. It’s a great program, great university. It’s been great to me. There’s no hard feelings. I had no issues. It’s just part of this business, unfortunately.”
When you look at your time at Clemson — I know it’s difficult to distill all those years into a couple of memories — but what are some of the highlights or the peaks or things that you’re going to take with you from your time at Clemson?
Lee: “Oh, man, there’s so many. I mean, it would be hard to make a list. I really don’t think that way. I don’t think about those things. But look, I’m from South Carolina. I was born and raised in the state of South Carolina. I’ve been so blessed to live here my whole life and coach here my whole life. And in seven years of coaching here, we won the rivalry weekend five times. That was something I’m very, very proud of — to be able to say that we had success in the rivalry with South Carolina, a program that I have tremendous amount of respect for having worked there under Ray (Tanner) for six years, so I have tremendous respect for the program. And it’s just a proud thing as a South Carolinian. It’s different when you’re from South Carolina. It’s special to you. So just the fact that my teams had success in the rivalry means a lot to me.
“Winning the ACC (tournament) in 2016, winning the division in 2018, hosting three regionals, those things are certainly special. And then the players. I mean ultimately the things that I’m going to remember the most are the players. Just being able to coach so many really good players and see those guys have great careers and great moments. Those are the things that I will remember the most is just all the great players that I’ve been able to coach, and some of those guys are still playing professional baseball and they’re still in the program. So it’s not necessarily the moments or the achievements as much as just all the kids that I got to coach here, special young men that I got to coach here, and all the great people that I got to work with here. Again, the administration here, the people of Clemson, the community, it’s been a great place to live and a great place to work. So those are I think, in a nutshell, what I’ll take from my experience there.”
You were talking about 2021 being a really tough year, and obviously you guys just missed the cut this year. I know injuries were a big problem, especially last season, but is there anything in particular you can point to these past couple years with just the struggles you guys had and the ups and downs?
Lee: “I think just in general — this is not any sort of a knock on the program at Clemson. But I think looking at the years where we were successful, hosting regionals, winning 40-plus games, we had competitive starting pitching, and we had great lineups. And we had a good balance of offense, pitching and defense. And the last few years, whether it was injury-related or performance-related, we were just too inconsistent on the mound. Whoever gets the job has got to be able to find more consistency on the starting pitching side. And the lineup, we had a very offensive season. We hit 100 home runs and scored north of seven runs a game. So there’s certainly the opportunity to be a good offensive club again next year.
“But, listen, we know what wins games, right? More times than not, you gotta pitch and defend. If you don’t, you’re not gonna go very far in the postseason, and you’re not gonna win a lot of games. We defended the field pretty well, but we struggled some from a consistency standpoint on the starting pitching side. So I think that’s the main thing. Outside of that, there’s a lot of really good pieces coming back and coming in for the next leader of the program to start off with success.”
You’ve talked about being a South Carolinian through and through. And I know it’s still fresh and you’re still figuring things out, but is the hope to stay in South Carolina or in the Southeast? What’s your vision or your hope for that?
Lee: “Well, look, I would selfishly love to stay in state because it’s all that I know. It’s all that I’ve ever known. But realistically, I understand that whatever the next opportunity could be, it may be somewhere else. And that’s OK. The game has taken me many, many places, and baseball is baseball everywhere you go. I mean, there’s a home plate, first, second, third base and the white lines and the dirt and grass and the fence, and you got to put a team together. So you can coach baseball anywhere. I’m certainly not opposed by any means to go elsewhere to do what I love. But shoot, this will always be home. I mean, South Carolina will always be home to me. If I can stay in state, great. But if not, I’ll certainly cross that bridge when I get there.”
It’s strange when both the Gamecocks and Clemson are not in the NCAA tournament. What’s your take on college baseball in the state of South Carolina right now?
Lee: “College baseball is really, really good in the state, and I don’t think you can necessarily look at one year and say college baseball in South Carolina is down. Just last year, South Carolina is hosting a regional. Coastal is in the hunt to be in the postseason every single year. College of Charleston has got a great program. Wofford, Todd Interdonato is doing a great job. You know Clemson’s in the hunt, there’s good college baseball, like in North Greenville. I mean, North Greenville is a Division II school that, shoot, they’ve got a chance to win the national championship. There’s good baseball across our state. Florence-Darlington Tech, in the junior college world series.
“It’s a great college baseball state, and it’s a great state for a college baseball fan because there is no pro sports. And everybody here, the pro sports for South Carolinians is quite honestly the Tigers and the Gamecocks. It’s just how it is, right? So it’s always gonna be relevant because it’s important to the people of South Carolina. In some years, some things are going to be better than others. But all in all, I think college baseball is very, very strong in our state.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
