TCU expected to name Kirk Saarloos its new baseball coach this afternoon
TCU will formally introduce its next baseball coach this afternoon.
Pitching coach Kirk Saarloos is expected to be promoted to the position, sources confirmed, after the school conducted a nationwide search once Jim Schlossnagle departed for Texas A&M last week.
The school has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. news conference for what it’s deemed a “major announcement regarding TCU baseball.”
Saarloos has been the favorite all along.
Saarloos joined TCU in the summer of 2012 after two seasons as the pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton. He was promoted to recruiting coordinator in the summer of 2013.
TCU has had one of the best pitching staffs in the country since Saarloos took over. The Frogs led the nation with a 2.22 ERA in 2014 and ranked second in 2015 with a 2.45 ERA. TCU didn’t have its best pitching season in 2021, posting a 4.18 ERA. Still, that ranked third-best in the Big 12.
Saarloos has also recruited and developed high-level pitching talent over the years, including left-hander Nick Lodolo. Lodolo was the program’s highest-drafted player, going seventh overall to the Cincinnati Reds in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Before his coaching career, Saarloos pitched seven seasons in the big leagues. He had stints with the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds. Among his big-league highlights was being part of the Astros’ six-pitcher no-hitter of the New York Yankees on June 11, 2003.
TCU also interviewed associate head coach Bill Mosiello for the job as well as outside candidates.
Schlossnagle turned TCU into a perennial power, going 734-346 in 18 seasons. The Frogs went to five College World Series appearances, 15 NCAA tournaments and won multiple conference championships under Schlossnagle.
TCU went 41-19 this season, winning the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 5:07 AM.
