Kevin Schnall tops South Carolina’s baseball coaching wish list. Here's what to know
South Carolina is searching for its fourth baseball coach in 14 years, and Coastal Carolina’s Kevin Schnall has emerged as the most intriguing name on athletic director Jeremiah Donati’s list. The Chanticleers’ head coach checks nearly every box for the Gamecocks — but luring him from his alma mater won’t be simple.
Here are key takeaways:
- Schnall (93-34 run over two seasons at Coastal Carolina) is one of three top candidates in the search, alongside Kansas coach Dan Fitzgerald (384-161 in four years) and Georgia Tech’s James Ramsey, a first-year coach who is 46-9.
- The earliest point South Carolina makes a hire is likely more than a week away. Coastal, Kansas and Georgia Tech are all locks for the NCAA Tournament, meaning they’ll learn their postseason schedules Monday and play next weekend. Georgia Tech is projected as a national seed, with Kansas set to host a regional and Coastal trending toward traveling as a 2-seed.
- Schnall spent 21 seasons as a Coastal Carolina assistant before taking over for Gary Gilmore last year and leading the Chanticleers to 56 wins and a College World Series final appearance in his debut season as head coach.
- The financial pull is significant: Schnall currently makes $500,000 at Coastal, and an SEC job would likely come with a raise of at least $1 million. Former USC coach Paul Mainieri was making $1.3 million annually.
- South Carolina parted ways with Mainieri in March after he won half of his 80 games, setting the stage for the first baseball coaching hire of Donati’s tenure as athletic director.
- Interim coach Monte Lee, pitching coach Terry Rooney and assistant John Hendry were relieved of their duties Thursday after the Gamecocks went 10-23 under Lee and finished with a program-record 35 losses.
- Lee advised the next head coach to build through high school recruiting rather than the transfer portal, noting the 2026 roster included 24 transfers and just 10 returners — a formula that didn’t work.
- Gilmore, who turned down numerous jobs to stay at Coastal, told Phil Kornblut/SportsTalkSC in a radio interview he hasn’t discussed the opening with Schnall but said, “Kevin will do a fantastic job if he’s the guy they hire.”
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.