TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH HOT BOARD: WHO COULD REPLACE JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE?

The Texas A&M Aggies have a massive undertaking in front of them, as they begin the search to replace former head coach Jim Schlossnagle.

Schlossnagle, of course, left the Aggies for the rival Texas Longhorns on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his team lost a 6-5 heartbreaker vs. Tennessee in the final game of the College World Series.

And while the loss of Schlossnagle is obviously tough to swallow for Aggieland, they must now turn the page and attempt to find a coach that can sustain the success the program has had over the last three seasons, a build on it.

Of course, that will be easier said than done. But the Aggies have the money, resources and appeal to lure just about anyone in the country to College Station, which is exactly what they will try to do.

With that in mind, here are a few names to keep an eye on as the Aggies begin their search for a new head coach:

Cliff Godwin - East Carolina

It seems like every year Cliff Godwin is attached to an SEC head coaching opening, and for good reason. Since taking over as the ECU head coach in 2015, Godwin has won 397 games, three AAC Tournaments and five AAC regular season titles. He also is a five-time AAC Coach of the year, including this past season, where the Pirates went 46-17. He has won at least 40 games in all but three seasons with the Pirates with one of those seasons being due to the COVID-19 canceled season. From a personality standpoint, he is also a fantastic fit in Aggieland.

Texas A&M could finally be the opportunity that lures him away from ECU.

Brian O'Connor - Virginia

O'Connor is coming off of his seventh College World Series appearance with the Cavaliers. He is also a national championship winner, leading Virginia to the title in 2015. This one could be tricky as O'Connor recently signed an extension, but the Aggies could afford that buyout.

Skip Johnson - Oklahoma

Oklahoma has had Johnson at the helm since 2018, nearly winning the entire tournament in 2022. Johnson has helped Oklahoma win over 40 games in two of the last three years, which makes them likely to want to retain Johnson, but the Aggies could make a push.

Rob Vaughn - Alabama

Vaughn, 36, is a Texas native and one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the game. He got his first head coaching gig with Maryland in 2018 after spending four years as an assistant in College Park, winning two Big Ten regular season titles and a Big Ten Tournament. He is also a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. In his first year at Alabama, he took the Tide to an NCAA Regional appearance.

Erik Bakich - Clemson

Bakich has been at Clemson for just two years but has given the Tigers a pair of 44-win seasons, winning in an extremely tough SEC conference. Bakich hasn’t made the World Series since his 2019 runner-up season as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, but Bakich is undeniably one of the most skilled coaches in the game. 

Other names of note:

Dan Heefner - Dallas Baptist

Nick Mingione - Kentucky

Link Jarrett - Florida State

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Texas A&M Head Coach Hot Board: Who Could Replace Jim Schlossnagle?.

2024-06-27T17:01:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd