Jim Schlossnagle’s lateral move from TCU to Texas A&M is all about timing | Opinion
Everyone at TCU who knew Jim Schlossnagle accepted that this was not his final job.
Schloss’, 50, likes TCU and Fort Worth, but after 18 years here he was interested in something else. He just wasn’t sure what that was.
Another school. Possibly a position on an MLB bench.
So when Texas A&M called, he was ready.
About the only thing he didn’t hit clean in his tenure in Fort Worth was the exit.
Sources said Schloss’ did not inform his players or staffers that he had accepted the Texas A&M job. They all found out from friends, or social media.
They all understood his decision to leave, but were disappointed there was neither a head’s up, nor so much as a text saying “thanks for everything.”
Schloss’ does not see it that way.
“I spoke to my eight seniors and the coaching staff knew,” Schloss said in a text message. “The players were all gone when all of this went down. I have and will continue to contact them individually.”
There is no good way to breakup. Feelings always get hurt. Just try not to ghost ‘em.
What ever way this went down in the hours leading up to Schlossnagle accepting the position at Texas A&M, it’s consistent with how college coaches leave for their next destination.
A snap, and the only tangible evidence of their existence is the route of their private plane on flightaware.com before it arrives at their next destination.
On Wednesday afternoon, he Tweeted out a note of thanks to TCU that read, “Wow…first class institution, first class Chancellor, first class AD [Jeremiah Donati]. I’m forever indebted to you all…and the great city of Fort Worth…more to come…#FrogballUSA”
(The account has since changed from @TCUSchloss to @CoachSchloss.)
While Texas A&M celebrates with itself for stealing TCU’s baseball coach, had Mississippi State moved on it Schloss should be running things in Starkville.
In the spring of 2018, Mississippi State interviewed Schloss its head coaching job.
Multiple sources at both schools confirmed he wanted the position.
Mississippi State wanted to interview other candidates first, so Schloss happily returned to TCU. He knew he had it great at TCU, and in Fort Worth. He drove to work in a golf cart, and money was not a concern.
Like so many coaches, and people, he wondered about something else.
Mississippi State had new toys that he liked, starting with a new stadium.
He wanted a place that drew a few more fans than TCU, but not a destination where he was expected to win the College World Series every week.
He was also tired of trying to do the college baseball scholarship routine at an expensive private school.
But by this spring, his personal life had changed dramatically. Both of his kids were out of the house, and attending TCU.
Sources said Schloss was tracking A&M’s season, and keeping an eye on the potential status of Aggies coach Rob Childress.
When the Aggies fired Childress a few weeks ago, Schloss had a job he wanted.
TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati had the approval to offer Schloss a giant check, but no plausible amount of money was going to keep the coach from leaving.
Money can’t buy timing.
Schloss’ departure from TCU to A&M is essentially a lateral move. The Aggies will be offended at the thought, but when it comes to college baseball TCU and A&M are narrowly under that invisible LSU line of top programs in the nation.
Both should be viable contenders to reach the College World Series every season. Schloss goes to a place where he can keep his recruiting ties all over the state, and specifically to Houston.
The Aggies are a bigger school in the “It Just Means More” SEC, and they do draw more fans at their home games.
TCU can offer a lot, but as a small private school it can’t sell what it’s not. TCU is in a sprawling metropolitan area with a smaller alumni and fan base, not a giant state school in a college town.
A&M could not have done any better in hiring a new baseball coach.
Just as he did in Fort Worth, Schloss will win in College Station.
About the only thing that was not a clean hit in his tenure in Fort Worth was his walkoff.
This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 1:25 PM.
