New Beginnings: How Jim Schlossnagle Hire Impacts Texas Longhorns Baseball

A bright future is on the horizon for the Longhorns following the hiring of Jim Schlossnagle.

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Following the firing of David Pierce by the Texas Longhorns, anything short of a big splash hire would have been seen as unacceptable by the fanbase. Aware of that, Athletic Director Chris Del Conte went out and reeled in arguably the biggest fish out there in Jim Schlossnagle, coach of rival Texas A&M.

Heading into their first season in the SEC next year, the Longhorns now find themselves in an extremely strong position to succeed right off the bat. First and foremost, Schlossnagle has proven to be a winner at every stop he's made in his coaching career.

Most notably, he built Texas' former conference rivals the TCU Horned Frogs into a college baseball powerhouse and one of the most respected teams in the nation. In his 16 seasons at the helm in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs missed the NCAA Tournament just twice, not including the Covid-shortened season in 2020.

Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle signals the umpire against the Tennessee Volunteers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Of those 13 tournament appearances, five were trips to the College World Series -- including four straight from 2014-17. Departing TCU for Texas A&M in 2022, he led the Aggies to Omaha twice in his three seasons and ended as the runner-up to Tennessee this season.

Now, he ventures to Austin where the goal of building the Longhorns back into the storied program they once were. Luckily for Texas, his track record speaks for itself. And beyond that, look for Schlossnagle to build an elite coaching staff on the Forty Acres.

It was reported by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball that associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Nolan Cain would be on his staff in Austin, and that may just be the beginning. Another key name to look out for is Max Weiner, associate coach and the person responsible for building the Aggies' elite pitching staff.

Looking elsewhere for the impact of a coaching hire of this magnitude, recruiting could very well see a major uptick as well. Landing elite recruits has never been an issue for Texas. What has been, though, was utilizing the transfer portal. A trend that will undoubtedly change under Schlossnagle.

Speaking of upgrades set to come, don't be surprised if following the official press conference introduction Del Conte comes out and announces upgrades to Disch-Falk Field. One potential area of change is switching from turf to a natural grass field.

Ultimately, the Longhorns are one of college baseball's premier blue-blood programs that has been dormant for far too long. Their first season in the SEC will mark 20 years since their last national championship. Just making it to the NCAA Tournament is not good enough. Getting to Omaha and winning titles is the standard and one that Schlossnagle looks to bring back to Austin.