Texas A&M Head Coach Hot Board: Who Could Replace Jim Schlossnagle?

The Texas A&M Aggies are now on the hunt for a new head coach following the departure of Jim Schlossnagle to the Texas Longhorns

Matt Galatzan | Jun 30, 2024

Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Skip Johnson and Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle talk with the home plate umpire before the game at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas A&M Aggies have a massive undertaking in front of them, as they begin the search to replace former head coach Jim Schlossnagle.

Schlossnagle, of course, left the Aggies for the rival Texas Longhorns on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his team lost a 6-5 heartbreaker vs. Tennessee in the final game of the College World Series.

And while the loss of Schlossnagle is obviously tough to swallow for Aggieland, they must now turn the page and attempt to find a coach that can sustain the success the program has had over the last three seasons, a build on it.

Of course, that will be easier said than done. But the Aggies have the money, resources and appeal to lure just about anyone in the country to College Station, which is exactly what they will try to do.

With that in mind, here are a few names to keep an eye on as the Aggies begin their search for a new head coach:

Jun 12, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; East Carolina Pirates head coach Cliff Godwin (23) talks with his team on the mound during the ninth inning against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Nashville Super Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at Hawkins Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Cliff Godwin - East Carolina

It seems like every year Cliff Godwin is attached to an SEC head coaching opening, and for good reason. Since taking over as the ECU head coach in 2015, Godwin has won 397 games, three AAC Tournaments and five AAC regular season titles. He also is a five-time AAC Coach of the year, including this past season, where the Pirates went 46-17. He has won at least 40 games in all but three seasons with the Pirates with one of those seasons being due to the COVID-19 canceled season. From a personality standpoint, he is also a fantastic fit in Aggieland.

Texas A&M could finally be the opportunity that lures him away from ECU.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Skip Johnson

Skip Johnson - Oklahoma

Oklahoma has had Johnson at the helm since 2018, nearly winning the entire tournament in 2022. Johnson has helped Oklahoma win over 40 games in two of the last three years, which makes them likely to want to retain Johnson, but the Aggies could make a push.

Feb 23, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn stands on the dugout steps during the opening game of the weekend series with Valparaiso at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA

Rob Vaughn - Alabama

Vaughn, 36, is a Texas native and one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in the game. He got his first head coaching gig with Maryland in 2018 after spending four years as an assistant in College Park, winning two Big Ten regular season titles and a Big Ten Tournament. He is also a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. In his first year at Alabama, he took the Tide to an NCAA Regional appearance.

Jun 1, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Erik Bakich and outfielder Cam Cannarella (10) celebrate after defeating the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Erik Bakich - Clemson

Bakich has been at Clemson for just two years but has given the Tigers a pair of 44-win seasons, winning in an extremely tough SEC conference. Bakich hasn’t made the World Series since his 2019 runner-up season as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, but Bakich is undeniably one of the most skilled coaches in the game.

Other names of note:

Dan Heefner - Dallas Baptist
Nick Mingione - Kentucky
Link Jarrett - Florida State

Published Jun 27, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.