What AD Jeremiah Donati said about South Carolina baseball’s coaching search
Just over a month after South Carolina and baseball coach Paul Mainieri parted ways, South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati spoke for the first time about the impending coaching search.
At the Garnet and Black Road Trip in Spartanburg, Donati said that he is currently in the “assessment phase” of the coaching search.
“Now is the time that we’ve really got to take a good look at the program overall and figure out what it is that we need,” Donati said. “And figure out the profile for who the next coach is going to be.”
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of outreach from current coaches all over the country,” Donati said. “Some big names. This is the job right now.”
Donati added that South Carolina will utilize a search firm to help with the vetting process, adding that the Gamecocks will meet with the firm next week to “officially start that process.”
Two names that will likely be considered, though, aren’t far away.
Current Gamecocks’ interim coach Monte Lee is 12-12 since taking over on March 21 and will certainly receive consideration, though he might not have the success to earn the full-time job.
Which brings us to one of the top options: Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall, who led the Chanticleers to the College World Series final last year and has Coastal in the top 10 again this season.
Certainly, those will be big names as South Carolina’s baseball coaching search begins. But it might be a while until Donati officially makes a hire.
