Former Gamecock Monte Lee staying in-state for next college baseball job
Former South Carolina assistant baseball coach Monte Lee has his next job spot.
Lee is joining College of Charleston as an assistant head coach, the program announced Thursday.
Lee, 49, is certainly familiar with CofC. From 2009-15, Lee posted a 276-145 record during his time as head coach at Charleston. He took the Cougars to four NCAA Tournaments, including one trip to the Super Regionals in 2014.
He’s also a 2000 graduate of College of Charleston and was a standout outfielder for the school from 1996-99.
“My focus is entirely on bringing an everyday energy and standard that reminds players across South Carolina why Charleston is the ultimate destination,” Lee said through a school statement. “I’m ready to recruit elite talent, develop these guys at the highest level and hunt for championships every single year.”
Lee has spent his entire baseball coaching career in the Palmetto State. The Lugoff native started as an assistant at Spartanburg Methodist from 2001-02 and was in the same role at South Carolina from 2003-08. Lee was hired to be the head coach at Clemson in 2016 following his successful tenure at CofC.
Clemson made four straight NCAA Regionals during Lee’s first four seasons as head coach. Lee was fired in 2022 after missing two straight NCAA Tournaments.
Lee returned to South Carolina as associate head coach under Mark Kingston in 2023. He briefly served as the Gamecocks’ interim head coach after Kingston was fired following the conclusion of the 2024 season. Lee remained on staff under new head coach Paul Mainieri and was, once again, named USC’s interim head coach when Mainieri was fired early in the 2026 season.
South Carolina finished the season 10-24 with Lee as the interim head coach. He was let go shortly after USC’s 2026 season ended. The Gamecocks hired Coastal Carolina’s Kevin Schnall to be their next head coach Wednesday.
Lee will join forces with current head coach Chad Holbrook at College of Charleston. Holbrook and Lee didn’t overlap during their time as assistants at USC, but the two have coached against each other over the years. Holbrook was the Gamecocks’ head coach during the beginning of Lee’s tenure with Clemson.
“It is going to be a thrill and honor to be in the same dugout as Monte,” Holbrook said in a statement. “One thing is clear: Monte loves The College and he loves this baseball program.”
Charleston is coming off a 37-22 season, but it’s just two years removed from a 41-win season. Charleston is looking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015, when Lee was coaching the team.
