South Carolina losing pitching coach Justin Parker to another SEC school
South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker is leaving for the same role at Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs, who missed the NCAA Tournament in 2023 two years after winning the national title, agreed to part ways with pitching coach Scott Foxhall after the season, creating an opening on Chris Lemonis’ staff.
Parker confirmed his departure with a social media message Monday.
“Struggling to find words to express what the last 2 years have meant,” Parker posted to Twitter. “So thankful for my time in Columbia and all the wonderful people that have welcomed us and made it feel like home. It will always be the birthplace of our son!
“Very grateful to Coach Kingston for this opportunity and Coach Tanner for building such an incredible program. Love Coach Lee, Caillet, Wingo, Anderson and Current. Most of all, I love these players and will miss them! This place is special. Forever to thee!”
TheBigSpur reported that USC will hire Matt Williams from Liberty to be the Gamecocks’ next pitching coach.
Parker spent the last two seasons at USC working under head coach Mark Kingston after a three-year stint at Indiana. This past season he led the Gamecocks to a 4.19 team ERA, which ranked second in the SEC and 12th in the country. Pitchers like Jack Mahoney, James Hicks and Chris Veach showed growth under his tutelage, though Parker and the Gamecocks could never quite get ace Will Sanders back on track.
The season before, Parker’s first in Columbia, the Gamecocks dealt with widespread injuries to the pitching staff, and the Gamecocks posted a 5.41 team ERA. But Parker did have a success story in the form of Noah Hall, who went from a transfer reliever from Appalachian State to USC’s most dependable starter in SEC play in 2022.
Parker replaced former USC pitching coach Skylar Meade before the 2022 season after Meade left for the head coaching job at Troy. Meade led the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
This story was originally published June 19, 2023 at 10:33 AM.
