Alabama Taps Maryland's Rob Vaughn as New Head Baseball Coach
Alabama baseball's rollercoaster of a season came to a conclusion on Sunday at the hands of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
With the season ending, the top question on supporters' minds was, "Who's going to take over as permanent head coach?".
The Alabama administration wasted no time with the answer as Maryland head baseball coach Rob Vaughn was announced as the new head coach on Monday, and will be formally introduced during a press conference on Tuesday.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rob Vaughn as the next head baseball coach at The University of Alabama," Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in a statement. "I talked to a number of people throughout this process and was so impressed with Rob from the start. He is one of the young, bright talents in college baseball and has done an excellent job leading Maryland's program.
"The success on the field speaks for itself, but even more impactful were the conversations with those who have played for Rob. We look forward to welcoming Rob, his wife Kayleigh, and children, Wyatt and Beau to Tuscaloosa."
Vaughn had been with the Terrapins for the previous 11 seasons, serving as the head coach for the last six. He carries a record of 183-115 as head man in College Park.
"I could not be more excited to join the Alabama Crimson Tide," said Vaughn in a release. "The culture, the people and the program speak for themselves. Watching the team from afar, I could tell just how special it is, and I cannot wait to get started and help get this group get back to Omaha. The fact that Coach Jackson will be here by my side makes me even more excited because he's done such an incredible job and will be a big part of what we do going forward."
At just 35-years old, Vaughn is one of the youngest coaches in "Power 5" coaching.
Despite his youth he's led the Terrapins to two straight Big 10 regular season titles and won the Big 10 Tournament this past season. His work has garnered conference recognition as he was named the Big 10 Coach of the Year the previous two seasons.
Vaughn, a Texas-native, played college baseball for Kansas State from 2006-09. He spent a short time in the minor leagues before rejoining the Wildcats in 2011 as a volunteer assistant.
Additionally, the administration announced that interim head coach Jason Jackson would be retained and serve as associate head coach and pitching coach.
“I could not be prouder of the job Coach Jackson did in serving as our interim head coach for the final six weeks of the season,” said Byrne. “He was incredible at managing a tough situation and ultimately leading this team somewhere it had not been in quite some time. He has great relationships with our team, the department, our fans and beyond, and we are thrilled to keep JJ here in Tuscaloosa and elevate him to associate head coach.”
“First off, I’m so very proud of this team and this group of players,” Jackson said. “This team will always hold a special place in Alabama Baseball history.
“My family and I are very happy here in Tuscaloosa. I love this university and I love coaching these players and am excited about the opportunity to continue to be able to do that. Rob has done an amazing job at Maryland and I know he will be a great fit here as well. I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to working together. I also want to thank Greg Byrne and the administration for the support of both my family and me and of our program. I know we are all ready to hit the ground running.”
See Also:
Instant Reaction: What Do You Think About Alabama's New Baseball Coach?
Alabama Baseball’s Historic Season Comes to a Close in Super Regional Loss to No. 1 Wake Forest
