Coming off back-to-back seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament, Clemson baseball head coach Monte Lee was let go by Clemson Athletics on Tuesday.
Lee completed his seventh season as head coach finishing 11th in the ACC with a 35-23 record in 2022. Last season, Lee led the Tigers to their first losing record (25-27) since 1957. With the lack of postseason success over the past two seasons, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff decided it was time for a change.
“The expectations for Clemson Baseball are very high, and the team’s recent on-field performance has not met those of our administration, our coaching staff, our student-athletes or our loyal fanbase,” said Neff in Tuesday’s press release.
Overall, Lee went 242-136 in his seven seasons as head coach, leading Clemson to an ACC Championship title in 2016 and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016 to 2019.
“It’s certainly a time of grieving,” Lee told WCIV’s Scott Eisberg. “Certainly sad that my time here at Clemson is over. You know, I feel like I failed.”
As for the program’s future, Neff and his team will immediately begin the head coaching search for what he considers to be a top-15 job.
With the change in leadership, however, some other changes will occur for Clemson’s roster next season. According to The Clemson Insider, catcher Jonathan French and outfielder Dylan Brewer have entered the transfer portal.
With the abundance of change within the program, here are the mixed reactions on Twitter from a couple of current players and many fans.