An LSU baseball legend is expected to resurface in the Southeastern Conference next season.
Former Tigers head coach Paul Mainieri is expected to be named the next head coach for South Carolina, according to a report from Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball. The College World Series champion coach stepped away from LSU following the 2021 season and a Super Regional loss to Tennessee.
"You've got a name on the marquee now, and I think that's what they were looking for," Mike Detillier said on WWL reacting to the move, which he described as a "big fish" hire for the Gamecocks.
Listen to the full conversation about the reported Paul Mainieri hire from WWL in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
LSU has made three trips to the NCAA Tournament in the three years since Jay Johnson took over, including a College World Series title in 2023.
South Carolina fired head coach Mark Kingston the day after the Gamecocks fell 2-0 to James Madison to be eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Kingston had been the head coach for the Gamecocks since 2018 with a record of 217-155 including a pair of Super Regional trips.
"Mainieri fits South Carolina better than, I think, Kingston did," said WWL's Charlie Long, "and I think a lot of South Carolina fans will get behind that hire based on his success at LSU for well over a decade and a half."
Over 15 seasons as the head coach of LSU, Mainieri had an overall record of 641-283-3 including a College World Series title in 2009. Mainieri also engineered four other trips to Omaha (2008, 2013, 2015 and 2017).
Mainieri's decision to get back into coaching isn't surprising, considering he's had his name in the mix for jobs before, including Miami in 2023. The move is not yet official.
