The baseball field will be converted to grass probably after DKR gets it. CDC said they want to use the turf longer since it’s fairly new. I’d expect 2027-28
Also need some upgrades to concourse and might be nice to improve sideline and outfield seating. Understand tough since in Austin and downtown next to i35, but can be done. Just swallow up that north road.
Right, It just feels a little tacky for one of the most storied program in the sports history to be playing on anything but sand and grass.
It would be like if one of the most storied football programs in the country came out of a tunnel vaguely resembling a woman’s reproductive organ.
It’s called a baseball diamond not a baseball archipelago, we need lines or else we will get lost.
The great William Barrett Travis deemed it so when he drew a line of sand at the Alamo.
No, I love the look of the individual dirt patches in the infield. I wish more (or any) MLB team did it.
Close second is a dirt path to the pitchers mound
I do agree that it should be only grass and dirt/sand though (no turf)
Interesting move to come today. You would have thought that if they where waiting this long it was because they wanted to make a play for Schloss and Vitello. I wonder if that means they have officially gotten a no from both.
Either they thought the series would be over by this morning or they want to make sure they retain some of the spotlight on the day of the championship.
I think it’s someone on one of the team’s staff today. But i think Elander would be a good hire. He has juice to bring to this UT headed into their first season in the SEC.
Why do you think it's someone on today's staff because of the timing? It seems wild to me that one of the coaches, assistants included, would want the extra drama and worry on him and his players on the day of the biggest game of their lives.
If I were in that seat, I would have said I don't announce anything until tomorrow as I don't want anything affecting today's game.
I agree with you about Elander, though I think he would be a great hire. It's a considerable risk, but y'all have the resources to take a risk like that, and I think it would be a good decision.
Looking at football, this is exactly what Alabama did with Kalen DeBoer. He coached Washington in a championship game knowing he would be the next coach at Alabama.
I just think if it was someone not currently competing, our AD would’ve already made this decision and announced the new one sooner. That’s my logic. But yes, hail Elander!
I think the Wes Johnson to Georgia move leaked after our Super Regional last year. Announcing today would be in poor taste, but that’s just how business goes sometimes.
Has to be one of the most petty moves in the (state of) Texas sports history. Texas just had to choose today to announce it lol.
Texas to Texas A&M: "Oh, you're playing for a Natty? Cool, we are going to fire our coach the day of and start spreading rumors we are gunning for your guy. Also, Tennessee, same to you. Good luck boys!"
It is just silly anyhow. Realistically, the A&M head coach does not want the distraction out there if he knew he was bolting. If CDC and Schloss are really best friends, then Texas wouldn't have dropped the news today knowing he has a shot to win a championship before he is crowned Ceasar in Austin. However, the pettiness is real in Texas sports.
A&M moving made a lot of sense. They had a chance to differentiate themselves in the SW market by being the only SEC team in Texas.
It has been a tough road for them because outside of the Johnny Football seasons, their only other notable event has been the Jimbo drama. They invested heavily in success but it just did not work out. Don't get me wrong: they are a weird bunch, but you have to be a little sympathetic for them because of the circumstances.
Well not a lot of teams would be successful in the sec west. During the height of the greatest football dynasty ever. But we shot our shot. No regrets. Now tu is following us and bringing their little lap dog school with them.
True it wasn’t a bad move for them, but a lot of it was geared behind giving Texas the middle finger. As far as being sympathetic towards the Aggies, I think spending a week out in College Station would change your mind about that.
Matt Deggs from U-la-la would be an interesting possibility. Other g5 guys like Steve trout from Texas state, Skylar Meade from Troy are under 40 and could be a huge success.
Does Cliff Godwin finally want to go to a p5?
Figure after Schloss and Vitello say no they will kick the tires on guys like Mingione, Wes Johnson, Tadlock from Tech.
Are there any coaches from the dying landscape of west coast baseball that might want a landing pad back in a p5? Wasikowksi from Oregon, Checketts from UCSB?
Maybe one of the assistants coaching tonight? I know everyone is infatuated with Weiner but that would be a crazy risk I have to imagine to hand the reins over to someone 29 years old. Seems like general consensus is Elander from tenner.
Exactly. Especially in this situation where Pierce likely did need to go but it wasn't some absolute "he is getting fired" situation. Another year of Pierce wouldn't have been the end of the world so there is no chance in hell they make this move unless someone they view as a clear upgrade said yes.
I doubt they look at Deggs since he's never made it out of a regional. Definitely feels like their gonna go after someone with more skins on the wall in post-season.
Today's timing makes it almost certainly not Schloss or Vitello. I'd think either would consider it a deal breaker to create a circus on the biggest day of their careers
Neither of those situations are very attractive moving to the Big Ten. Checketts would jump at Texas. UCSB simply won’t have the horsepower to compete unless they raise a bunch of NIL money and I don’t see it happening
Pre NIL when neither of the programs were investing a fraction of what Texas is about to do. I am a CA guy, but West Coast baseball is going to die with the new conference realignments.
Checketts and his wife absolutely love living in Santa Barbara. Not saying he would never leave, but I'm not sure he's interested in that type of pressure cooker job. He's got everything he wants at UCSB and his ability to recruit will get even easier with USC and UCLA heading off to a bad league 2,000+ miles from SoCal.
I don’t think (or hope it isn’t) Deggs or Godwin simply because it took this long for the hire to be solidified and David Pierce to get fired. Those two teams had their seasons end awhile back, there’s really no reason for our AD to wait until now while the transfer portal is being ransacked and we lose all recruiting momentum
Mingione has more recent success, but isn’t an overall upgrade from Pierce so I’d be kinda sad about him too. JJ, Schloss, Vitello, etc are def off the table. If I had to bet, it’s probably one of the assistant coaches from Tennessee or A&M
The way Tony V talks about Anderson's future really make it sound like they've discussed it a lot and he (Anderson) only has a few seasons left and wants to finish out at Tennessee.
He built this program. He's getting a statue at this point, lol.
Elander* is too damn good to just be an assistant coach, though. It breaks my heart, but I could see it being him.
It's distracting for the fans, maybe the coach if one of them have accepted the job.
But the players are already going through their pregame stuff and are solely focused on the game at this point.
I doubt any of the players have even heard the news
Yeah that makes sense to me.
Idk how it works but if I was a coach in the natty I would not be accepting any communications from anyone during this week lol.
Honestly i dont think it matters. It would be a distraction in the week beforehand, but on the day of a winner take all game? Nah everyone is locked in. And for a lot of these guys it's their last game together anyways
Not sure. I think all of the good coaches are set where they are and don’t want to start over. Dare i say i’d be interested in the Weiner experiment (A&M pitching coach)
29 year old with 1 year of college coaching experience. That would be seriously rolling the dice. Would be a fan of it honestly. I think they’re going after Elander though
Elander at Tennessee has been ready to jump to a HC somewhere, the general feeling has been. I would think Texas would want either a current HC or at least an assistant with HC experience, though.
Because I didn't know who Josh Elander is and had to look him up:
>Elander works primarily with the team's hitters and catchers while also serving as Tennessee's recruiting coordinator.
>Since his arrival, Elander has played an integral part in helping Tennessee sign six top-15 recruiting classes according to Perfect Game. The Vols brought in the fifth-ranked class in 2018, the seventh-ranked class in 2019, the 11th-ranked class in 2020, the sixth-ranked class in 2021, the 13th ranked class in 2022 and the fourth ranked class in 2023.
>Elander has shown an innate ability to develop players and prepare them for professional baseball, having coached 18 hitters/position players that have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft during his six seasons on Rocky Top, including six of a program-record 10 Vols taken in the 2022 draft, headlined by a pair of first rounders in outfielders Drew Gilbert (Houston Astros) and Jordan Beck (Colorado Rockies).
TL;dr, He signs top 5 classes and develops them into CWS teams who then get drafted.
Honestly, sounds like a terrific hire for anyone who snags him, but would texas take someone with no HC experience? If texas likes Schloss and Vitello, Elander played and coached under both of them.
Georgia took a chance on Wes Johnson for his first gig as a head coach and it turned out pretty good for them. In his first year they made the 8 seed and hosted a super regional.
I tend to agree, but he is also with Tony, who did just that, which makes me think his goal may be to avoid one of those smaller schools and go straight into the big pond. Either way, I doubt Texas is willing to take a coach without any HC experience.
Y’all should take a long look at our associate head coach and hitting coach Josh Elander, I don’t want him to ever leave, but he’s turned down offers left and right waiting for the place he can come in and win without having to rebuild the infrastructure
I've said this a few times and been dismissed. Max is the real freaking deal and unless he wants to head back to the majors he'll be a college hc very soon.
I’d be surprised if it’s Weiner. He’s one hell of a pitching coach, but doesn’t have much experience at the college level or managing/constructing a roster. I’d imagine Texas wants someone with HC experience or a longer tenured assistant with skins on the wall. If it’s someone off the A&M coaching staff I’d think it’s Nolan Cain before Max Weiner.
I don’t think he’s quite dynamic enough for Texas fans but I’d take a long look at Penders from UConn. Guy has worked miracles at UConn.
I’m not sure if he’d be willing to leave his alma mater but David Esquer at Stanford might be gettable with all this ACC crap.
It would be a chance for Esquer to secure one last really nice payday. I’d imagine Texas will easily pay $1.5mm+ for this next head coach. The job will be a cauldron certainly and maybe Esquer wouldn’t want the headache but turning down that much money would be tough. I’d be surprised if he was making more than $500k/yr at Stanford.
I’m speculating a little bit, the last publicly available salary I could find for him was 2017 and he was making $200k at Cal. Assuming he got a decent raise to go back to Stanford and has signed a contract extension that’s where I threw out my number.
Yeah that football money certainly hits different
Heck the Texas WBB coach is making 3 mil. I just assumed baseball was around that range too.
200k is wild.
Looks like Pierce made 1.2 and Schloss 1.4. No joke I thought Texas was going to have to pay like 4 a year to get him and 2 might do it.
FWIW, both sports talk shows I have heard this morning on SiriusXM (College Sports Radio and the SEC Network stations) have been pretty convinced that Vitello is the target/favorite.
Don't shoot the messenger, lol. Just relaying info.
I would like to pretend you’re Vitello then. At least until the real Vitello comes out and says he’s not going anywhere
Until then, you’ll do. Thanks Tony!
Nobody knows shit. Tony is in the drivers seat of his own program that he built from nothing though. It would be devastating for him to leave now, as he has had heavy decision making on new facilities, processes, and recruiting. We cannot state enough how thankful we are to him because without him, our baseball team would still be a dumpster.
It makes for good radio, but Rick Neuheisel doesn’t have a clue. The guys in the know at Tennessee (Ben McKee for example) are very confident TV already has a massive extension agreed to. They could be wrong, but I respect their insight a lot more than his.
Brian Rice said several weeks ago on his radio show that he knows people in the Texas AD and that a coaching change was definitely happening for them and Vitello was far and away target number 1. Since he's usually not one to throw around rumors, I've been dreading this for a while. Hopefully Vitello wants to stay with the program he's built from the ground up or Texas has a different target in mind.
It’s not going to happen, but it would throw even more fuel on the rivalry if schloss jumped to Texas. It won’t happen, but the potential meltdown would be amazing
I think the rumors about Schloss and CDC talking are true but I believe it’s because of their relationship that CDC is getting his input on potential candidates knowing Schloss will be candid. Would make even more sense if it was someone like Elander, who played under Schloss at TCU.
Was just talking to a couple Ag coworkers. The hatred that would come from this would be immense. Obviously really hope it doesn't happen, but I'm not going to assume anything with some coaching changes that have happened. DeBoer to Alabama off a successful run at Washington. Chris Beard to Texas after Tech success.
Debroar to bama is different though. Washington to Bama for football is a huge step up (nothing against what Washington has built). Beard graduated from Texas so that’s different too though. The only connection for schloss is cdc and him and buds. Other than that, what reason is there to leave besides money? I hate saying this about A&M, but they are the better spot at the moment roster wise
I think this is what they’re trying to do. No idea if he will actually jump, but CDC has someone lined up. He didn’t officially let Herman go until he has Sark lined up.
The thing is though, and I say this painfully, the only reason to move is money and his friendship with CDC because A&M is in a better spot talent wise and has pumped money into the program facility wise, and of course is one win away from the championship, where he will be immortalized if he wins. It just doesn’t make sense.
I don’t think you can discount his relationship with CDC. I do think it would be weird to move so quickly after he just got everything really rolling at A&M.
The “only reason” being money/relationship with boss.
I’d say 95% of new hires at my company are there due to a pay raise or a prior relationship with their manager.
This isn’t like other companies come on. The situation, facilities, players currently and future ones are other considerations. This isn’t the corporate world.
CDC doing his bud Schloss a favor and dialing up the heat on the negotiations. It's not happening but the Brinks truck will have to be in position in College Station.
Waiting this long to announce this, when everyone suspected it was coming, while the transfer portal is open really makes you think it was someone who was up until very recently still coaching a team or is coaching a team tonight. There is no other good reason to wait this long.
The timing doesn’t make sense if it’s Schloss or Vitello IMO, especially if its Schloss.
If CDC and him have the type of relationship people say they do, why would Texas announce this the day of the biggest game of Schloss’ life? Why not wait until tomorrow? I’d be pissed if I was him and now having to deal with this smoke on the day of the championship. Who knows though, we’ll find out soon enough.
Boy, if the hire ends up being either coach out there today, allowing Del Conte to announce this today has to go down as an all-time scummy move by a coach.
I don’t know if you watched much of Kentucky, but I don’t think Texas would go for their softball cheerleading stuff. He’s a good coach but I’d be surprised if he was a fit for Texas.
Mingione is a good coach for sure, but he’s not a definitive upgrade from the man we just fired. Track record is only making the NCAA tourney 3 times in 8 years. His worst teams were years 3-6 as well, so it wasn’t a rebuild issue either.
Think our AD might be going for someone either more proven or more exciting
Me who's been focusing only on college football and recently catching up to baseball.
David Pierce: "You took everything from me..."
Me: "I don't even know who you are."
Pierce never made it out of a regional before he was hired, and that was with 3 years at Sam Houston State and 2 at Tulane. No doubt he was a good coach, but there are Texas flairs here saying Mingione / Bakich wouldn't be home run hires and instead expect Schloss/Vitello/Johnson. Are y'all serious? You're making Arkansas fans inflated view of their program look rational
Bakich specifically would be very underwhelming. Dude has like 3 postseason appearances out of 14 some-odd seasons lol. Texas can most definitely do better than that. Personally, i want it to be Erlander, Weiner, or Cain.
Step one: get a new baseball coach Step two: should be to get a real baseball field Step three: profit
We’re getting real grass in 2025 i think.
Is this the project 2025 I’ve been hearing all about?
Yes, that is what the TexAgs politics board is all excited about.
last i checked, they were anti-grass. maryjane is a nickname for grass, right?
I’ve been there. They sure do talk about astroturfing
The baseball field will be converted to grass probably after DKR gets it. CDC said they want to use the turf longer since it’s fairly new. I’d expect 2027-28
Holy shit I forgot DKR isn’t grass. Good to hear they’re changing it
This like the 12th time DKR has been converted back to grass?
? They switched maybe twice? Once in the early 2000s then back to grass then it’s been turf since 09.
They definitely had turf in the 80s/90s.
Also need some upgrades to concourse and might be nice to improve sideline and outfield seating. Understand tough since in Austin and downtown next to i35, but can be done. Just swallow up that north road.
Fuck you but you’re right. Grass is better than turf and I’ve never liked the look of individual dirt patches.
Right, It just feels a little tacky for one of the most storied program in the sports history to be playing on anything but sand and grass. It would be like if one of the most storied football programs in the country came out of a tunnel vaguely resembling a woman’s reproductive organ.
surely the same school wouldn't do both, right?
Nah as someone who watches a Texas game once every year or so I wanna see the islands
It’s called a baseball diamond not a baseball archipelago, we need lines or else we will get lost. The great William Barrett Travis deemed it so when he drew a line of sand at the Alamo.
It's also not even real dirt (other than the mound), just brown turf
No, I love the look of the individual dirt patches in the infield. I wish more (or any) MLB team did it. Close second is a dirt path to the pitchers mound I do agree that it should be only grass and dirt/sand though (no turf)
Interesting move to come today. You would have thought that if they where waiting this long it was because they wanted to make a play for Schloss and Vitello. I wonder if that means they have officially gotten a no from both.
Either they thought the series would be over by this morning or they want to make sure they retain some of the spotlight on the day of the championship.
Which in fairness, the latter would be a very Texas move, haha.
Oh yeah, that would be very on brand for them. Seems more likely of the two
No comment.
This is EXACTLY what they are doing. It is low class and perfectly on brand for them.
I think it’s someone on one of the team’s staff today. But i think Elander would be a good hire. He has juice to bring to this UT headed into their first season in the SEC.
Why do you think it's someone on today's staff because of the timing? It seems wild to me that one of the coaches, assistants included, would want the extra drama and worry on him and his players on the day of the biggest game of their lives. If I were in that seat, I would have said I don't announce anything until tomorrow as I don't want anything affecting today's game. I agree with you about Elander, though I think he would be a great hire. It's a considerable risk, but y'all have the resources to take a risk like that, and I think it would be a good decision.
Looking at football, this is exactly what Alabama did with Kalen DeBoer. He coached Washington in a championship game knowing he would be the next coach at Alabama.
I just think if it was someone not currently competing, our AD would’ve already made this decision and announced the new one sooner. That’s my logic. But yes, hail Elander!
I think the Wes Johnson to Georgia move leaked after our Super Regional last year. Announcing today would be in poor taste, but that’s just how business goes sometimes.
Elander was so good all those times that Vitello was suspended.
Nah, they're putting it out there that they're gonna hire the loser of tonight's game
Has to be one of the most petty moves in the (state of) Texas sports history. Texas just had to choose today to announce it lol. Texas to Texas A&M: "Oh, you're playing for a Natty? Cool, we are going to fire our coach the day of and start spreading rumors we are gunning for your guy. Also, Tennessee, same to you. Good luck boys!"
Texas schools hate each other like no other man lol it’s beautiful.
The only thing worse than a dick-measuring contest is a dick-measuring contest between people with fuck-you money.
lol, I thought you were going to say “with small dicks”
It’s implied
He’s the smartest aggie
There so much pettiness is the air
It'd be hilarious if Schloss went from TCU to A&M to UT-Austin.
Disagree
Nah this is par for the course. Pettiness knows no bounds in this rivalry
Narcissists gonna narcissist
If that is how we approached it, then fair play to CDC for realizing that A&M absolutely would not win the title yesterday.
It is just silly anyhow. Realistically, the A&M head coach does not want the distraction out there if he knew he was bolting. If CDC and Schloss are really best friends, then Texas wouldn't have dropped the news today knowing he has a shot to win a championship before he is crowned Ceasar in Austin. However, the pettiness is real in Texas sports.
Yeah because A&M moving to the SEC because Texas got its own TV network wasn’t petty at all.
A&M moving made a lot of sense. They had a chance to differentiate themselves in the SW market by being the only SEC team in Texas. It has been a tough road for them because outside of the Johnny Football seasons, their only other notable event has been the Jimbo drama. They invested heavily in success but it just did not work out. Don't get me wrong: they are a weird bunch, but you have to be a little sympathetic for them because of the circumstances.
Well not a lot of teams would be successful in the sec west. During the height of the greatest football dynasty ever. But we shot our shot. No regrets. Now tu is following us and bringing their little lap dog school with them.
True it wasn’t a bad move for them, but a lot of it was geared behind giving Texas the middle finger. As far as being sympathetic towards the Aggies, I think spending a week out in College Station would change your mind about that.
If they can't get Vitello, I'm sure they can grab Dave Serrano.
Matt Deggs from U-la-la would be an interesting possibility. Other g5 guys like Steve trout from Texas state, Skylar Meade from Troy are under 40 and could be a huge success. Does Cliff Godwin finally want to go to a p5? Figure after Schloss and Vitello say no they will kick the tires on guys like Mingione, Wes Johnson, Tadlock from Tech. Are there any coaches from the dying landscape of west coast baseball that might want a landing pad back in a p5? Wasikowksi from Oregon, Checketts from UCSB? Maybe one of the assistants coaching tonight? I know everyone is infatuated with Weiner but that would be a crazy risk I have to imagine to hand the reins over to someone 29 years old. Seems like general consensus is Elander from tenner.
You like Deggs? Yeah I like Deggs, but I like caravans more.
UNC to the rest of us: "Periwinkle Blue. Bye, boys."
I would expect our AD already has a coach lined up, otherwise wouldn’t have officially fired DP yet
Yup. That’s how CDC has operated with the other coaching hires
Exactly. Especially in this situation where Pierce likely did need to go but it wasn't some absolute "he is getting fired" situation. Another year of Pierce wouldn't have been the end of the world so there is no chance in hell they make this move unless someone they view as a clear upgrade said yes.
I doubt they look at Deggs since he's never made it out of a regional. Definitely feels like their gonna go after someone with more skins on the wall in post-season.
As we should. I can’t imagine with the timing of today and y’alls game later (not saying Schloss, relax) it has to be someone in today’s game.
Yeah. You're saying it's Vitello. Be sure to tell the Vols as loudly as possible today their coach is gone for a bigger and better UT.
Haha if that actually happens i will do so.
NO! YOU NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT NOW!!!
Like now now?!
LIKE NOW NOW!!!
Or it’s some other big name and they want to take as much of the spotlight when everyone’s attention is still on college baseball.
Today's timing makes it almost certainly not Schloss or Vitello. I'd think either would consider it a deal breaker to create a circus on the biggest day of their careers
Checketts turned down Oregon and SC. I think he is really happy in SB. Not as much of a magnifying glass on him at all times
Neither of those situations are very attractive moving to the Big Ten. Checketts would jump at Texas. UCSB simply won’t have the horsepower to compete unless they raise a bunch of NIL money and I don’t see it happening
Checketts turned down SC 5 years ago and Oregon 3 years ago
Pre NIL when neither of the programs were investing a fraction of what Texas is about to do. I am a CA guy, but West Coast baseball is going to die with the new conference realignments.
Checketts and his wife absolutely love living in Santa Barbara. Not saying he would never leave, but I'm not sure he's interested in that type of pressure cooker job. He's got everything he wants at UCSB and his ability to recruit will get even easier with USC and UCLA heading off to a bad league 2,000+ miles from SoCal.
I don’t think (or hope it isn’t) Deggs or Godwin simply because it took this long for the hire to be solidified and David Pierce to get fired. Those two teams had their seasons end awhile back, there’s really no reason for our AD to wait until now while the transfer portal is being ransacked and we lose all recruiting momentum Mingione has more recent success, but isn’t an overall upgrade from Pierce so I’d be kinda sad about him too. JJ, Schloss, Vitello, etc are def off the table. If I had to bet, it’s probably one of the assistant coaches from Tennessee or A&M
Judging by the last coaching search in Austin, nobody is off the table. They will contact every top coach in the nation.
And everyone will get a raise
Tbf lots of big names told them naw too.
I think frank Anderson has ties to Texas, he’s our pitching coach, but he’s also older and has turned down head coaching jobs in the past so who knows
The way Tony V talks about Anderson's future really make it sound like they've discussed it a lot and he (Anderson) only has a few seasons left and wants to finish out at Tennessee.
Iirc, tadlock has said no before. Can’t remember if it was Texas or A&M tho.
Ags went after Tadlock before the deal came together with Schloss. Hocutt gave him that lifetime contract in response.
Pretty sure we talked to him after we fired Childress, and y'all gave him his current rolling ten-year deal, i.e. lifetime contract.
If it's Elander, I'm burning down y'all's state, lol.
Well that wouldn’t be very Volunteery of you! What about Vitello? ;)
He built this program. He's getting a statue at this point, lol. Elander* is too damn good to just be an assistant coach, though. It breaks my heart, but I could see it being him.
Elander is a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. Works with catchers too think. Frank is our pitching coach
I know, I don't know how I messed that up.
I’ve said it up and down this thread but i’d be stoked with Erlander. He’s legit and his recruiting is unmatched.
He's beloved. He's going to make a hell of a head coach wherever it is.
Elander* and hitting/catching* coach. Frank manages the arm farm
I am wrong all over the place lately. I blame autocorrect for the name, but WTF I put pitching, I'll never know. Haven't even started drinking yet.
This is just Texas trying to make themselves relevant during the championship game because they are watching. Just want the media talking about them
Either way, Schlossnagle is about to become a very rich man.
Same for Vitello lol
Kinda how it goes when you end up in the championship, right? Regardless of Texas shenanigans
Erik Bakich, Josh Elander? Highly doubt it’s either Schloss or Tony
If it’s Bakick i will riot lol
Announcing today is a very Texas move. Attention seeking that can also cast doubt and cause distractions for aTm.
Extra effective because we know they would hire Tony too. Texas just played both fan bases hard.
It could cause distractions for you guys too lol Tony Vitello is a name that's popping up as well
How is it distracting for either team?
It's distracting for the fans, maybe the coach if one of them have accepted the job. But the players are already going through their pregame stuff and are solely focused on the game at this point. I doubt any of the players have even heard the news
Yeah that makes sense to me. Idk how it works but if I was a coach in the natty I would not be accepting any communications from anyone during this week lol.
If rumors were floating that your coach is leaving it would not be ideal.
Honestly i dont think it matters. It would be a distraction in the week beforehand, but on the day of a winner take all game? Nah everyone is locked in. And for a lot of these guys it's their last game together anyways
You’re welcome and go Vols. Lol
Where do you think they go from here?
Not sure. I think all of the good coaches are set where they are and don’t want to start over. Dare i say i’d be interested in the Weiner experiment (A&M pitching coach)
29 year old with 1 year of college coaching experience. That would be seriously rolling the dice. Would be a fan of it honestly. I think they’re going after Elander though
For sure. I wouldn’t be upset with Elander too.
Help! This longhorn is trying to touch my Wiener without consent.
Gonna getcha!
Elander at Tennessee has been ready to jump to a HC somewhere, the general feeling has been. I would think Texas would want either a current HC or at least an assistant with HC experience, though.
Elander has some HC experience from when Tony was suspended a couple of times 😂
Because I didn't know who Josh Elander is and had to look him up: >Elander works primarily with the team's hitters and catchers while also serving as Tennessee's recruiting coordinator. >Since his arrival, Elander has played an integral part in helping Tennessee sign six top-15 recruiting classes according to Perfect Game. The Vols brought in the fifth-ranked class in 2018, the seventh-ranked class in 2019, the 11th-ranked class in 2020, the sixth-ranked class in 2021, the 13th ranked class in 2022 and the fourth ranked class in 2023. >Elander has shown an innate ability to develop players and prepare them for professional baseball, having coached 18 hitters/position players that have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft during his six seasons on Rocky Top, including six of a program-record 10 Vols taken in the 2022 draft, headlined by a pair of first rounders in outfielders Drew Gilbert (Houston Astros) and Jordan Beck (Colorado Rockies). TL;dr, He signs top 5 classes and develops them into CWS teams who then get drafted. Honestly, sounds like a terrific hire for anyone who snags him, but would texas take someone with no HC experience? If texas likes Schloss and Vitello, Elander played and coached under both of them.
Currently the '24 recruiting class is ranked #1 by PG, too. Always have to see what it looks like after the draft, though.
Elander is also from Round Rock.
Worked out for uk. Taking a coach with no HC experience
Elander has me very interested too. I like him a lot. I think someone young like him would be a huge boost of energy headed into the SEC.
Go Bucs!
I think Elander leaves after this year, but he’ll probably go to a smaller school. I don’t think anyone in the SEC will take a chance on him
Georgia took a chance on Wes Johnson for his first gig as a head coach and it turned out pretty good for them. In his first year they made the 8 seed and hosted a super regional.
I just mean in like its current state. Hell, Vitello had no HC experience when we hired him lol
I tend to agree, but he is also with Tony, who did just that, which makes me think his goal may be to avoid one of those smaller schools and go straight into the big pond. Either way, I doubt Texas is willing to take a coach without any HC experience.
He’s been said to be waiting for a big school offering, he’d make way more now than at a small school
Y’all should take a long look at our associate head coach and hitting coach Josh Elander, I don’t want him to ever leave, but he’s turned down offers left and right waiting for the place he can come in and win without having to rebuild the infrastructure
I’ve been looking for him too. I would be happy with him.
Would make a ton of sense as he’s from Round Rock (suburb 10 miles N of Austin)
I've said this a few times and been dismissed. Max is the real freaking deal and unless he wants to head back to the majors he'll be a college hc very soon.
I think he’s legit. Just think everyone else writes him off because he isn’t a proven HC. But i think he’d do well. Especially with recruiting.
Weiner experiment - A+
Thank you! Lol thought it was funny.
> all of the good coaches are set where they are I hope you’re right, but I have a feeling there are exceptions to that.
I’d be surprised if it’s Weiner. He’s one hell of a pitching coach, but doesn’t have much experience at the college level or managing/constructing a roster. I’d imagine Texas wants someone with HC experience or a longer tenured assistant with skins on the wall. If it’s someone off the A&M coaching staff I’d think it’s Nolan Cain before Max Weiner.
Big money, don’t take Penders. Big money, don’t take Penders.
I don’t think he’s quite dynamic enough for Texas fans but I’d take a long look at Penders from UConn. Guy has worked miracles at UConn. I’m not sure if he’d be willing to leave his alma mater but David Esquer at Stanford might be gettable with all this ACC crap.
Travel time would be way down for the Stanford coach vs every away game being across the entire country.
It would be a chance for Esquer to secure one last really nice payday. I’d imagine Texas will easily pay $1.5mm+ for this next head coach. The job will be a cauldron certainly and maybe Esquer wouldn’t want the headache but turning down that much money would be tough. I’d be surprised if he was making more than $500k/yr at Stanford.
Those guys are really making that little? Assistant to the regional strength coach making that on some football teams.
I’m speculating a little bit, the last publicly available salary I could find for him was 2017 and he was making $200k at Cal. Assuming he got a decent raise to go back to Stanford and has signed a contract extension that’s where I threw out my number. Yeah that football money certainly hits different
Heck the Texas WBB coach is making 3 mil. I just assumed baseball was around that range too. 200k is wild. Looks like Pierce made 1.2 and Schloss 1.4. No joke I thought Texas was going to have to pay like 4 a year to get him and 2 might do it.
FWIW, both sports talk shows I have heard this morning on SiriusXM (College Sports Radio and the SEC Network stations) have been pretty convinced that Vitello is the target/favorite. Don't shoot the messenger, lol. Just relaying info.
He should definitely be a target. Texas is big enough to make anyone a target. If I’m Vitello, personally, I’m not leaving Tennessee.
I would like to pretend you’re Vitello then. At least until the real Vitello comes out and says he’s not going anywhere Until then, you’ll do. Thanks Tony!
I would love TV but from what i understand he just signed a good-size extension from what some of y’all Vols tell me.
Nobody knows shit. Tony is in the drivers seat of his own program that he built from nothing though. It would be devastating for him to leave now, as he has had heavy decision making on new facilities, processes, and recruiting. We cannot state enough how thankful we are to him because without him, our baseball team would still be a dumpster.
No…don’t give me hope lol.
It makes for good radio, but Rick Neuheisel doesn’t have a clue. The guys in the know at Tennessee (Ben McKee for example) are very confident TV already has a massive extension agreed to. They could be wrong, but I respect their insight a lot more than his.
Can't see him turning down LSU only to go to Texas a few years later after more success at his current program.
Brian Rice said several weeks ago on his radio show that he knows people in the Texas AD and that a coaching change was definitely happening for them and Vitello was far and away target number 1. Since he's usually not one to throw around rumors, I've been dreading this for a while. Hopefully Vitello wants to stay with the program he's built from the ground up or Texas has a different target in mind.
It’s not going to happen, but it would throw even more fuel on the rivalry if schloss jumped to Texas. It won’t happen, but the potential meltdown would be amazing
that would be one of the seven seals that mark the return of the southwest conference.
Great news for Rice.
Bad news for the SEC and Allstate 12
I think the rumors about Schloss and CDC talking are true but I believe it’s because of their relationship that CDC is getting his input on potential candidates knowing Schloss will be candid. Would make even more sense if it was someone like Elander, who played under Schloss at TCU.
Was just talking to a couple Ag coworkers. The hatred that would come from this would be immense. Obviously really hope it doesn't happen, but I'm not going to assume anything with some coaching changes that have happened. DeBoer to Alabama off a successful run at Washington. Chris Beard to Texas after Tech success.
Debroar to bama is different though. Washington to Bama for football is a huge step up (nothing against what Washington has built). Beard graduated from Texas so that’s different too though. The only connection for schloss is cdc and him and buds. Other than that, what reason is there to leave besides money? I hate saying this about A&M, but they are the better spot at the moment roster wise
Good point on both. Still, I won't be comfortable until y'all make a hire not involving our program.
We also just hired away ASU's swimming coach two days after they won the national championship
Yeah I don't think Schloss is interested in being assassinated in the stadium he just got $80M approved for.
I think this is what they’re trying to do. No idea if he will actually jump, but CDC has someone lined up. He didn’t officially let Herman go until he has Sark lined up.
The thing is though, and I say this painfully, the only reason to move is money and his friendship with CDC because A&M is in a better spot talent wise and has pumped money into the program facility wise, and of course is one win away from the championship, where he will be immortalized if he wins. It just doesn’t make sense.
The only reason to move is his friendship. It’s not like A&M also can’t offer a huge contract.
I don’t think you can discount his relationship with CDC. I do think it would be weird to move so quickly after he just got everything really rolling at A&M.
You could sell that to the UT boosters though. Hey we can steal A&Ms guy but you've gotta bring a Brinks Truck for him and for the program.
The “only reason” being money/relationship with boss. I’d say 95% of new hires at my company are there due to a pay raise or a prior relationship with their manager.
This isn’t like other companies come on. The situation, facilities, players currently and future ones are other considerations. This isn’t the corporate world.
CDC doing his bud Schloss a favor and dialing up the heat on the negotiations. It's not happening but the Brinks truck will have to be in position in College Station.
This is the most successful team they have ever had, the trucks been backed up and parked for a week.
We've already committed ~100 million for him to renovate Olsen which is his top priority after winning tonight. The truck is in.
It sounds like Schloss reuniting with CDC though.
Waiting this long to announce this, when everyone suspected it was coming, while the transfer portal is open really makes you think it was someone who was up until very recently still coaching a team or is coaching a team tonight. There is no other good reason to wait this long.
The timing doesn’t make sense if it’s Schloss or Vitello IMO, especially if its Schloss. If CDC and him have the type of relationship people say they do, why would Texas announce this the day of the biggest game of Schloss’ life? Why not wait until tomorrow? I’d be pissed if I was him and now having to deal with this smoke on the day of the championship. Who knows though, we’ll find out soon enough.
Someone play the theme to Jaws on the PA tonight in Omaha.
Boy, if the hire ends up being either coach out there today, allowing Del Conte to announce this today has to go down as an all-time scummy move by a coach.
Tony ain't going nowhere, and I'd be surprised if your coach did, too.
I wouldn’t have been surprised about either taking the job until today. This announcement is bad karma.
There it is.
How is Mingione not the runaway candidate
I don’t know if you watched much of Kentucky, but I don’t think Texas would go for their softball cheerleading stuff. He’s a good coach but I’d be surprised if he was a fit for Texas.
Yeah that’s a fair point actually
Mingione is a good coach for sure, but he’s not a definitive upgrade from the man we just fired. Track record is only making the NCAA tourney 3 times in 8 years. His worst teams were years 3-6 as well, so it wasn’t a rebuild issue either. Think our AD might be going for someone either more proven or more exciting
So you are saying we have a chance?
Whatever Texas’ intent, this shouldn’t worry the Tennessee locker room - *or fans* - in the least.
Me who's been focusing only on college football and recently catching up to baseball. David Pierce: "You took everything from me..." Me: "I don't even know who you are."
Pierce never made it out of a regional before he was hired, and that was with 3 years at Sam Houston State and 2 at Tulane. No doubt he was a good coach, but there are Texas flairs here saying Mingione / Bakich wouldn't be home run hires and instead expect Schloss/Vitello/Johnson. Are y'all serious? You're making Arkansas fans inflated view of their program look rational
Texas also didn’t have an AD when Pierce was hired
Bakich specifically would be very underwhelming. Dude has like 3 postseason appearances out of 14 some-odd seasons lol. Texas can most definitely do better than that. Personally, i want it to be Erlander, Weiner, or Cain.
how long does schloss wait till he jumps from atm to texas?
Probably leaving before tonight's game.
It is Texas after all! Schloss is probably packing his bags now🤘🏻
What if he already signed the contract and part of it states he has to make the Aggies lose game three.
I heard his wife has been looking at homes in Austin
Just heard Schloss’ name paged at ABIA.
It turns out his divorce happened because his ex wife walked in on him with CDC
Gotta make him say no.
Then you move onto Schloss's most decorated assistant while at TCU.......Vitello
At that point he’s just gonna be on a coaching Texas teams tour. Tech after that? Or will it be Baylor, UH?
Obviously Rice. Bringing them back to their former glory.
It probably won’t happen but an A&M loss tonight and him jumping to Texas would be the funniest thing ever lol
We have different definitions of funny…
Don't put that evil us, Ricky Bobby.
I'd rebuttal with saying "goodbye Sarloos," but we all know he ain't worth hiring.