TCU baseball’s Schlossnagle leaving for Texas A&M. Frogs made push to keep him.
TCU is in the market for a baseball coach.
Longtime coach Jim Schlossnagle is leaving TCU for Texas A&M. A&M formally announced the hiring on Wednesday morning.
TCU, though, made a strong push to keep Schlossnagle in Fort Worth. According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, TCU offered Schlossnagle a five-year extension on top of his remaining two years on his deal that would have taken him through the 2028 season and made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
In fact, the source said, Schlossnagle likely would have made more money staying at TCU rather than bolting to A&M when you factor in the revenue he generated from his camps. But Schlossnagle opted for the challenge of running an SEC program and restoring A&M’s baseball program to prominence.
“This was not about the money,” a TCU source said.
In a new release sent out by A&M on Wednesday morning, Schlossnagle said: “I am extremely excited to get things started in Aggieland, and I am humbled by this incredible opportunity. With the resources and facilities available at this world-class university, the foundation is here to win championships and make the 12th Man a regular visitor to Omaha.”
Added A&M athletic director Ross Bjork: “When we started our coaching search, we made sure we covered all of our bases within Texas and across the country by reaching far and wide to find the right fit for Texas A&M baseball. As our search progressed, it became abundantly clear that Jim Schlossnagle had the experience, recruiting prowess, player development background and baseball knowledge to deliver a championship-caliber program for Aggie baseball. He owns the best winning percentage of any college baseball program in Texas over the last 10 years and his track record of success on a national stage speaks for itself.
“Texas A&M deserves to have the very best of the best, and we have hit a proverbial ‘grand slam’ with Coach Schlossnagle.”
The Star-Telegram reported this week that TCU officials were bracing for Schlossnagle to depart if A&M offered the job. After the regular season, Schlossnagle said he didn’t have interest in any other job but his stance changed during A&M’s pursuit.
A&M is hosting a welcome ceremony for Schlossnagle at the Ford Hall of Champions at Kyle Field at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in College Station. All Aggies have been invited to attend by the school with a news conference following the event.
Schlossnagle will replace Rob Childress at A&M. Schlossnagle spent the past 18 seasons at TCU, building one of the top programs in the country. The Frogs went 734-346 under Schlossnagle, who joined the school from UNLV in 2004.
Schlossnagle led TCU to five College World Series appearances, 15 NCAA tournaments and multiple conference championships in his tenure. The Frogs went 41-19 this season, winning the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships.
Losing Schlossnagle is a blow to the athletic department. TCU baseball made just two trips to the NCAA tournament prior to Schlossnagle’s arrival.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the tremendous efforts and contributions from Coach Jim Schlossnagle over the course of his 18-year tenure here at TCU,” TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement. “He has helped elevate the profile of our baseball program to unprecedented heights, and we have been fortunate to experience a tremendous amount of success under his leadership. We thank him for his devotion to TCU and sincerely wish him and his family the best going forward.”
Now TCU and Donati will shift its attention to finding a successor. The school will conduct a national search.
Donati is expected to interview pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Kirk Saarloos and associate head coach Bill Mosiello for the position as well as candidates who have experience running programs. It’s unclear whether Schlossnagle will try to bring Saarloos and/or Mosiello with him to A&M.
At the end of the day, TCU will conduct a thorough search for Schlossnagle’s replacement.
“We have an elite program with high expectations,” Donati said. “Our student-athletes, fans and community deserve the best possible head coach and staff to lead this program forward and we are committed to delivering that to them.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2021 at 5:36 AM.
