Former Clemson Tiger Alex Urban 'Shocked' by Monte Lee Dismissal

Former Clemson Tiger Alex Urban said he was pretty shocked when he heard that Monte Lee had been fired from Clemson.

Jason Priester All Clemson

There were some mixed reactions to Clemson's decision to move on from head coach Monte Lee on Tuesday.

After the Tigers missed out on the NCAA regionals for a second consecutive season for the first time since the 1980s, some inside the fan base were ready for a change, while others were hoping Lee would get at least one more season to right the ship.

Count former Clemson OF/DH Alex Urban among those that were surprised to hear that Clemson had decided to go in a different direction. Urban spent one season with the Tigers in 2021 and was a key reserve, hitting 3 home runs, including the program's first-ever walk-off pinch-hit home run against Georgia Southern.

"I mean, I was pretty shocked," Urban told Thomas Grant of the Lexington County Chronicle. "I mean obviously, some things need to be changed around there. They have people who make those decisions, doing what's best for the school. You just kind of gotta live with it."

Alex Urban, a graduate of @RBHSBaseball who plays at @ClemsonBaseball, gives his reaction to the news of @MonteLeeCU not returning as Head coach. pic.twitter.com/aoaWKkgr75

— Thomas Grant Jr. (@junebugnewyork) May 31, 2022

Lee just finished up his seventh season with the program, going 35-23. After starting 2-9 in ACC play, the Tigers did not clinch a spot in the ACC Tournament until the final weekend of the regular season, then went 0-2 in Charlotte, being outscored 27-8 in losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech. However, due in part to having the 17th toughest schedule in the country, the Tigers were able to finish ranked No. 34 in the RPI.

When asked if he thought Clemson did enough to warrant inclusion into the 64-team field, Urban said that was a tough question to answer.

"That's kind of a tough subject," Urban said. "I mean, there were certain aspects that were better than others. It's a tough call for people to make especially if the program has been very good in the past. It makes those decisions a lot more difficult whenever you don't have a year that you expect to have."

With Lee's tenure at Clemson coming to an end, Urban is anxious to see what is next for his former head coach and is confident that Lee will be successful wherever he lands.

"He's good, he's a good guy," Urban said. "He knows a lot about hitting, a lot about the game as well. He will definitely be successful wherever he ends up."

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