The Jim Schlossnagle-Texas A&M saga is finally coming to an end, as Aggies’ athletic director Trev Alberts hired new baseball head coach Michael Earley on Sunday afternoon. Earley served as the team’s hitting coach the past three seasons.
Earley, pitching coach Max Weiner and associate head coach Nolan Cain followed Schlossnagle to Texas on Tuesday afternoon, the day of his shocking announcement. Still, as rumors swirled over the next couple of days, it seemed Earley was not too pleased with his situation.
While he lacks head coaching experience, players past and present overwhelmingly supported the hiring. More announcements are expected this week, but nearly every current player in the transfer portal should end up returning to the program, according to multiple sources.
In Austin, Texas, Schlossnagle continues to adjust to his new digs. On Sunday, Texas held a parade to celebrate the transition to the SEC, which it officially entered on Monday.
Staying in the news cycle, Schlossnagle and Longhorns AD Chris Del Conte spoke with SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, further explaining what he experienced during the memorable week.
Upon the Friday release of the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram’s interview with Schlossnagle, specific details about his relationship with Trev Alberts, whether true or not, spread like wildfire through the media landscape. Schlossnagle stated his position with the Aggies “became a different job” after Alberts was hired.
While it wasn’t surprising that Schlossnagle and Alberts had relationship issues, it was unexpected that the future Hall of Fame coach seemed unaware of the Aggie fan base’s response. His lack of awareness was almost laughable, especially after leaving to coach the Longhorns just a day after playing for a national championship.
“I had a feeling it would be nuclear, but I did not know it would be apocalyptic.”
It’s not hard to understand that the optics surrounding his abrupt exit are what led to the vitriol (which no one should ever endorse), but this is bound to happen with any heated rivalry, no matter the sport. Even worse, current Aggie players reportedly learned about the departure through social media, which he further defended due to “bad timing.”
“The timing’s never clean. … There’s just no way to ever meet with the entire team before you do that.”
To end the interview, Schlossnagle, of course, acknowledged Earley’s hiring, providing an answer that can only be described as a mild apology for the discontent he brought upon the fan base. This will hopefully put a bow on this saga once and for all.
“I’m glad that coach Early got the job. They hired one of our staff, so they could really celebrate that team.”
Any remaining pain or disdain by both fan bases can be settled on the field, as it should be, during the 2025 season when the Aggies are expected to return to Disch-Falk Field to face their former head coach. Game on!
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