Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle was officially named the new coach of the University of Texas Longhorns baseball team less than 24 hours after his team lost in the men’s College World Series Finals.
Schlossnagle led the Aggies to an overall record of 53-15 before losing to the Tennessee Volunteers in the College World Series Finals, where the team won the first game and lost the final two of the series.
Texas is coming off a season in which the team had a record of just 36-24 and finished third in the Big 12 Conference standings, opting to relieve head coach David Pierce after the season ended.
Schlossnagle previously worked as the head coach at TCU for 18 years before leaving for the same position at Texas A&M, leaving as the university’s winningest coach of all time with an overall record of 734-346, according to a news release from the Texas Longhorns.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte, who worked in the same role at TCU alongside Schlossnagle from 2009 to 2017, said in the news release that he was excited about the hire due to Schlossnagle’s character and ability to build a team.
“ I’ve known coach Schlossnagle for a long time, and there’s no better coach, program builder, and leader in the game, and the best part is he’s an even better person. When we were looking for our next baseball coach, we knew Schloss would be the perfect choice, and we are beyond thrilled that he’s joining our Longhorn family,” he said.
Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts released a statement about Schlossnagle’s departure, writing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the university is disappointed by the decision but also “grateful for his contributions in helping our baseball program reach unprecedented heights.”
“Baseball success is important to everyone associated with Texas A&M, we will not stop in our pursuit of excellence and our commitment to baseball will not waiver,” he continued.
“On behalf of Texas A&M Athletics, we wish Jim and his family well as they move on to another challenge.”
Schlossnagle has received criticism for his decision to leave his role with the Aggies due to statements he made following his team’s loss in the College World Series.
A reporter asked Schlossnagle a question regarding rumors that he would accept the job at Texas, to which the coach responded by claiming that the reporter was “selfish” for asking the question.
“I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again and that hasn’t changed in my mind. That’s unfair to talk about something like that,” he said, per SEC Unfiltered.
Despite Schlossnagle’s discussion regarding loyalty and his desire to remain at Texas A&M for the remainder of his career, Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball reported Tuesday night that the two sides had agreed on a contract before the end of the regular season.
Sports analyst Paul Finebaum was incredibly critical of Schlossnagle’s response and subsequent decision to leave the Aggies, saying the “question was going to happen” and that the response was “embarrassing.”
“All you have to say is listen, we just walked off the field where we left our guts on that field, and all I care about tonight is my players. Take a stand. Instead he chastised the reporter, it was all about him,” explained Finebaum, per Saturday Down South.
