Events are ramping up fast after former Texas A&M head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle’s shocking departure to rival Texas one day after the Aggies’ loss to Tennessee in the College World Series Finals.
The team is feeling the effects of this sudden change, and first-year A&M athletic director Trev Alberts has a great deal on his plate this week as he works to fill the void left by Schlossnagle.
Although nearly a dozen former starters are in the transfer portal, including Jace LaViolette and Gavin Grahovic, that doesn’t mean these players are leaving for a new destination. Instead, they are testing their value in the open market until a new head coach is announced, which is completely reasonable.
On Wednesday night, D1Baseball editor Kendall Rogers released his latest head coach, “hot board,” revealing six possible candidates that could replace Schlossnagle in College Station. Still, one popular name from the SEC was not included until Rogers appeared on TexAgs Radio on Thursday morning.
Speaking with host David Nuno, Rogers noted the timeline for Texas A&M to hire Schlossnagle’s replacement could be announced in the coming days:
“Based on what I’m hearing, I would be really surprised if they didn’t have a new head coach by Saturday. I really do. It’s moving very fast. My educated guess would be today is a very busy day on the coaching search front. By Saturday or Sunday morning, I think they have a new baseball coach.”
Noting plenty of well-known options, including long-time Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor, Rogers stated that one name not yet mentioned has become a legitimate candidate:
The really interesting one I would take a gander at is Kevin O’Sullivan. He has made it very clear that Florida needs some help on the NIL front. He is a guy who, if he went to A&M, would have a lot of NIL money.
This makes perfect sense. While O’Sullivan’s need for strong name, image and likeness licensing support would play a huge factor in any decision to leave the Gators after 17 years in Gainesville, nothing is set in stone. However, the drumbeat for one of the best coaches in the country to make his way to College Station is getting louder and louder.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.