If Kingston is fired, who is next?

Specockular

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If Kingston is fired (and the way this season has played out, barring a miracle run, he should be let go), who do we want to be the next coach? I love college baseball and the Gamecocks, but I don't know enough to know who would be the best guy to get, who is a good fit, etc.?

I've seen some tweets about Louisville, East Carolina and Duke's coaches, Skyler Meade.

Who do we want to return us to the top?
 

Sweetwatergolf

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Personally, I’m warming to this idea.
I'm now doing the same. Nothing to lose really. RT has a very long relationship with him. If I remember correctly he started recruiting him as a young HS player. Probably would be our "quickest" hire in order for recruiting and keeping some commitments already coming.
 
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atl-cock

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If Kingston is let go, the replacement needs to be a home run hire already lined up.
 

Rogue Cock

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Chris Pollard - Duke
Tom Walter - Wake Forest
Dan McDonnell - Louisville
 
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East Carolina coach would make sense, but I've heard he has ties to Ole Miss and may get that job if it comes open.
Louisville coach was high on the target list a couple of years back. Think his team has struggled the last couple of years, but still might be a good coach.
As for those saying Landon Powell... STOP. NO. We're not giving a guy his first D1 head coaching job just because he's an alum. That's dumb. I don't care what he has done at D2. Totally different animal. If he wasn't an alum, there is now way you'd mention his name. (Pick a D2 coach from another great D2 program who never was HC at D1 and make it make sense.)

Of course... if USC wins the regional and gets to Supers again this year, he may stay.
 

Rogue Cock

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East Carolina coach would make sense, but I've heard he has ties to Ole Miss and may get that job if it comes open.
Louisville coach was high on the target list a couple of years back. Think his team has struggled the last couple of years, but still might be a good coach.
As for those saying Landon Powell... STOP. NO. We're not giving a guy his first D1 head coaching job just because he's an alum. That's dumb. I don't care what he has done at D2. Totally different animal. If he wasn't an alum, there is now way you'd mention his name. (Pick a D2 coach from another great D2 program who never was HC at D1 and make it make sense.)

Of course... if USC wins the regional and gets to Supers again this year, he may stay.
Godwin is from North Carolina and is an alumni of ECU. He was an assistant at Ole Miss before returning to his alma mater. Reportedly he's been the favorite for several larger programs and turned them down. He wants to win it all for ECU. You always make a call to a coach like that, but don't expect a yes....same as what happened with McDonnell during our last search.

If we make the SR....same as last year, he's staying.
 

TN-Gamecock

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Godwin is from North Carolina and is an alumni of ECU. He was an assistant at Ole Miss before returning to his alma mater. Reportedly he's been the favorite for several larger programs and turned them down. He wants to win it all for ECU. You always make a call to a coach like that, but don't expect a yes....same as what happened with McDonnell during our last search.
Makes sense, ECU can win just as easily as Coastal Carolina did a couple of years ago. How much does he make as coach at ECU? I don't even know what we pay our coach.
 
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Rogue Cock

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Makes sense, ECU can win just as easily as Coastal Carolina did a couple of years ago. How much does he make as coach at ECU? I don't even know what we pay our coach.
From the Daily Reflector: The agreement is a seven-year extension that will retain Godwin through June 30, 2029. The new agreement also includes coaching staff performance incentives. Godwin's base salary was increased to $500,000 per year and his supplemental pay for various media and Pirate Club obligations was increased to $100,000.

From The State: Kingston's contract will run through the 2027 season, and he'll make $725,000 per year,

Also Kingston's buyout drops to $400K on June 31.
 

TN-Gamecock

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Well, the buyout is 400K, which is peanuts compared to a football coach. I hope Landon gets the chance.

He's got a great resume and former Gamecocks on staff:
Landon Powell - Head Coach - Baseball Coaches - North Greenville University (nguathletics.com)

Be sure to look at all the players from North Greenville under his reign who have made it to the big league...

My dads people originated in Traveler's Rest so I pull for North Greenville too. It's the prettiest mountain town in upstate SC....
 

Rogue Cock

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Rogue Cock

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1982cock

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Love the sport I played for so long.
Thanks for the info. You would think people like Urso & Brooks would’ve already received opportunities at D1-maybe they have. So I take it you would be ok w taking a chance.on proven D2 candidates. I’m not necessarily opposed to it
 

Rogue Cock

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Thanks for the info. You would think people like Urso & Brooks would’ve already received opportunities at D1-maybe they have. So I take it you would be ok w taking a chance.on proven D2 candidates. I’m not necessarily opposed to it
I think we need to stiike out on a lot of other more qualified (IMO) candidates before we go that route. Those states have a lot of baseball talent and a lot of marginal Div 1 talent and I'm sure that helps, just like it does NGU....who IIRC has 3 former USC players.
 
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92Pony

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If we are dropping into the Div 2 level to get a coach, get this guy. He has an unmatchable resume.


Never heard of him but agree his credentials are very impressive
Dude's stats are indeed impressive (I had never heard of him before either). But he's coaching at his alma mater, and has been there for a while. Does he ever leave there? Could we pull him away?
 

18IsTheMan

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Powell's done a fine job at NGU. They were 8-35 his first season in 2014. They won the DII title in 2022. He's young and a coach on the rise. He does happen to be a former Gamecock, which is the main reason he'd be on our radar, but he actually has a strong resume independent of that. It's not the typical "hey, let's hire a former player just because he played here." He has actually proven his chops as a coach.

I doubt anyone here will correctly guess who the next coach will be, though.
 
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18IsTheMan

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We gave Beamer a chance with no HC experience so why not LP who has HC experience?

Experience AND a national title.

I'm not particularly advocating for him, but he's a Gamecock grad, he's already a head coach in the state, and he's already demonstrated himself to be a capable coach. I'm sure Tanner will look from the D1 ranks, but our status in the game is greatly diminished from what it once was. Nobody views us as a powerhouse type program any longer.
 

Rogue Cock

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Thanks for the info. You would think people like Urso & Brooks would’ve already received opportunities at D1-maybe they have. So I take it you would be ok w taking a chance.on proven D2 candidates. I’m not necessarily opposed to it
Not really for hiring a D2 coach....think the skills needed are too different, especially in recruiting.
 

Rogue Cock

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Powell's done a fine job at NGU. They were 8-35 his first season in 2014. They won the DII title in 2022. He's young and a coach on the rise. He does happen to be a former Gamecock, which is the main reason he'd be on our radar, but he actually has a strong resume independent of that. It's not the typical "hey, let's hire a former player just because he played here." He has actually proven his chops as a coach.

I doubt anyone here will correctly guess who the next coach will be, though.
IMO he really needs to take a step up to a smaller D1 program and show how he does coaching and recruiting on that level before a bigger program will take a chance on him. Maybe he is just happy being at NGU.
 

18IsTheMan

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IMO he really needs to take a step up to a smaller D1 program and show how he does coaching and recruiting on that level before a bigger program will take a chance on him. Maybe he is just happy being at NGU.

Most likely.

I'm sure Ray will stick with D1 guys. I don't think it matters nearly as much in a sport like baseball as it does football/basketball, though.
 
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Fourth and One

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My question is if Tanner is best qualified to hire the baseball coach. His hires have led us to irrelevance in college baseball.
 

Moose#

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IMO he really needs to take a step up to a smaller D1 program and show how he does coaching and recruiting on that level before a bigger program will take a chance on him. Maybe he is just happy being at NGU.
Powell won/wins at N. Greenville with D1 transfers. Not many high school kids playing four years at NG. But, may be a fit in today's NIL/Portal world.
 
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Cockywilder

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The only reason that you fire him now is if the players have soured on him and the locker room is just that bad.
Ray Tanner’s time here should be over.

Forget whether or not he’s even good at, or qualified for, his job. It’s more than that.

He's been in the role too long. We need new blood and fresh ideas in a bad way. We need an outside voice.

I’m so tired of Mark Kingston, but I’m almost equally tired of Ray Tanner. We gotta turn the page.
 
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Blues man

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If I'm AD for a day, I'm throwing my money at Ben McDonald and seeing if it sticks. I like the guy's baseball philosophy, his ability to analyze swings and clearly he knows pitching. Best announcer on ESPN and totally underused imo. I just have this gut feeling a lot of guys would want to play for him. Do I think he can teach the game the right way? Dang right I do.
 
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