Why Michael Earley Is The Ultimate Silver Lining From Jim Schlossnagle's Departure

After losing Jim Schlossnagle, the Texas A&M Aggies entered a period of disarray concerning their future and direction. Now, they have their guy in Michael Earley, and a clear vision for what comes next.

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M celebrates after sweeping Oregon in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional series at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

What goes around, comes around.

Less than a week after losing Jim Schlossnagle to the Texas Longhorns, the Texas A&M Aggies have found his replacement: his own hitting coach.

Michael Earley — the Aggies' hitting coach throughout Schlossnagle's tenure in College Station — is now returning to become the next head coach of Aggie baseball. Earley brings no prior head coaching experience, but he is well-liked by Texas A&M's roster and past players, and while that doesn't directly translate to success at the helm of a flagship baseball program, it could.

And the hope of that possibility is exactly what the Aggies need.

"I am happy to announce that Michael Earley has been hired as our new Aggie baseball head coach," Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said in a press release. "Michael is a very talented coach and recruiter, but what stood out to me was his character and the relationships he has built with his current and former players.

"I think it helps that he knows our current roster, which finished second in the country, and he also knows Aggieland and the 12th Man. I am excited about the future of Aggie baseball."

Got our guy 👍

Welcome back home to Aggieland, @earleybaseball!

📰: https://t.co/HCmZmMb63Y#GigEm pic.twitter.com/FakDC3BuW2

— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) June 30, 2024

Everything Schlossnagle was excited about with the Aggies — that was, a new stadium and a national championship — will belong to Earley. Whenever Olsen Field's renovations do get completed, Earley will be the face of the team that uses it. If the Aggies get back to Omaha and find the success they've been working toward, Earley will be there.

“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity,” Earley said of taking the Aggies' coaching job. “Thank you, General Welsh and Trev Alberts for putting your trust in me. Being a part of this University and this program is a dream come true. I will not let you down."

Truth be told, anyone to Texas A&M's fanbase is better than Schlossnagle at this moment, but with a players' coach like Earley, he might be the best option.

In fact, he's the ultimate silver lining from Schlossnagle leaving.

While winning a title under the former TCU coach would have been ideal last season, the Aggies didn't quite get over the hump. And instead of being able to lean back on their experienced coach who would spend the offseason preparing for another run, he left. Texas A&M entered a period of disarray not knowing what came next.

Players entered the transfer portal, Schlossnagle brought his assistant coaching staff with him — or so he thought — and all hope was seemingly lost. With Earley returning, that's no longer the case.

The reaction's he garnered were proof of that.

"I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving," Ryan Targac said of Earley. "I have no doubt in his ability because I’ve seen it with my own eyes and in the eyes of others. He’s made an impact on me not just as a player, but as a person as well."

"The impact he made on me was second to none," former Aggie outfielder Brett Minnich added. "Both on and off the field he cares about you as a person and intentionally builds those relationships. Nobody deserves it more than this guy because of his dedication to being great."

As the Aggies prepare to move past the three-year period that was abruptly cut short, they'll need a coach like Earley to keep things consistent and looking up.

That means speaking with recruits who are now reconsidering their decisions to play baseball in Aggieland. It means having conversations with the Aggies who put their name in the transfer portal as a means to protect themselves. It means restoring hope to a fanbase who was utterly wronged.

It's a tall task, but then again, no job at Texas A&M has ever been easy. If Earley plays his cards right, he could be one of the most beloved figures in Aggieland next season, and he'll certainly be "the good guy" whenever the Aggies take on Schlossnagle's Longhorns.

June 1, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies fans cheer during the second round of the NCAA baseball College Station Regional against the Texas Longhorns at Olsen Field College Station. / Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

"Michael Earley is talented, hard-working, and absolutely committed to Aggie baseball," Texas A&M president Mark A. Welsh III said, commending the Aggies' 21st baseball coach. "Not a bad combination when you consider the huge support he has from his players. ... We now have a budding superstar leading Aggie baseball.

"Welcome home, Coach Earley. We’re all behind you.”

Earley doesn't have prior experience as a head coach, but he's been around winning baseball. At Arizona State, he saw two NCAA Tournament berths. With the Aggies, he added three more — two of which ended in Omaha — and watched as they came one run away from a national championship over the Tennessee Volunteers.

His next step is taking it all the way.

Despite the turmoil that Schlossnagle caused in leaving Texas A&M, it seems that things couldn't have come together any better for the Aggies. They now have their coach and a promising one at that.

When his Aggies take the field next season, the fans at Olsen Field will cheer. They'll support the squad that proudly takes the diamond in Maroon & White, no matter who it is.

"Give 'em hell, Earley!" they'll chant, just as they did all season long at the start of every inning.

Only this time, the phrase will be aimed at the dugout.

Aimed at their new head coach.