Erik Bakich was officially named Clemson’s head coach on June 16 and has been working hard to put together an elite coaching staff. Monday night The Clemson Insider reported that Florida State pitching coach Jimmy Belanger had been offered the position of pitching coach. Belanger has now officially accepted the position. TCI has also confirmed that Ben Paulsen will remain on the staff under Bakich.
While TCI was told nothing was official as of late Monday night, Bakich has offered the job to Florida State pitching coach Jimmy Belanger, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Belanger has been on FSU’s staff for the last three seasons, but his future with the Seminoles is in limbo following the school’s firing of head coach Mike Martin Jr. earlier this month. FSU has yet to hire a replacement.
FSU ranked fourth in the ACC this season in earned run average (4.26) while the Seminoles’ pitching staff led the league in strikeouts (702). It helped FSU earn an NCAA Tournament invite as the 3 seed in the Auburn Regional, where the Seminoles went 1-2 before firing Martin.
Last year, Belanger’s staff ranked in the top 10 nationally in ERA (3.45), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.19) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.4). During his first season on the job, the COVID-shortened year of 2020, FSU’s pitchers ranked fifth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (12.1).
Prior to his stint in Tallahassee, Belanger spent three seasons as Kentucky’s pitching coach. He’s also had stops as an assistant at Maryland and Monmouth.
Ben Paulsen has coached for Clemson for four years, recently serving as director of player development in 2022. Paulsen spent the 2018 season as a student assistant coach at Clemson.
Paulsen is the son of former Clemson assistant coach (2003-10) and current Winthrop Head Coach Tom Riginos. He was a career .318 hitter with 45 doubles, five triples, 31 homers, 130 RBIs and four steals in 182 games over three seasons (2007-09) at Clemson.
Paulsen was drafted in the third round by the Colorado Rockies in 2009. He played three years in the majors with the Rockies, hitting .271 with 16 homers and 70 RBIs in 186 games.
