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The Candidates
Childress’ contract situation made it easier to make a move, but athletic director Ross Bjork wouldn’t have moved on from a coach of Childress’ stature if he didn’t think he could hit a home run with his replacement. So, now, Bjork has to swing for the fences.
That means looking at the top of the industry for candidates. A&M can pay big and shouldn’t need to slide too far down its list. Still, hiring a coach for a major power is rarely as easy as expected—look no further than protracted recent searches at Mississippi State, Southern California and Texas for evidence of that.
The top targets for A&M will be
Texas Christian’s Jim Schlossnagle and
Texas Tech’s Tim Tadlock. Both have won and won big in the Lone Star state. The Aggies are very familiar with Schlossnagle’s success, as they were beaten in super regionals back-to-back years by his Horned Frogs in 2015-16. Tadlock has built a monster program at Texas Tech, his alma mater, and has led the Red Raiders to four of the last six College World Series—only two fewer CWS appearances than A&M has in its history.
Schlossnagle and Tadlock would be clear home run hires. They’re not without their downsides and Tadlock would have to make the difficult decision to leave his alma mater. But A&M has the resources to make it worth their while and provides a solid foundation to be competitive in the rugged SEC.
Tennessee’s Tony Vitello merits a long look. Vitello, 42, is known for his recruiting prowess, something that is crucial to success in the SEC. He’s also quickly proven himself as a head coach. In 2019, his second season, he led the Volunteers to regionals for the first time since 2005 and this year Tennessee is 42-14, won the SEC East for the first time since 1997 and is in line to host a regional. Still, hiring away a sitting SEC head coach is difficult and hasn’t been done since John Cohen left Kentucky for Mississippi State, his alma mater, in 2008.
East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin has already turned down Alabama and Mississippi State to remain as the head coach of his alma mater and has made it clear that he wants to lead the Pirates to their first CWS appearance. But if A&M could persuade the 43-year-old, he would certainly fit the bill for the job. He has extensive SEC experience as an assistant at Louisiana State and Mississippi. A&M can’t offer Godwin the comforts of home, but it’s a job Godwin would have to seriously consider if offered.
Godwin's former college teammate,
Michigan’s Erik Bakich, has previously turned down overtures from premium programs (South Carolina and Stanford) to stay at his current job. But A&M may be a different story. Bakich, 43, led Michigan to the College World Series finals in 2019 and has SEC experience as a former Vanderbilt assistant coach. There aren’t many boxes he wouldn’t check.
Dallas Baptist’s Dan Heefner has been a subject of just about every major coaching search in the area in recent years and he should get a look here, as well. Heefner has built DBU into a regional powerhouse and has led the Patriots to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He doesn’t have the major conference experience of other candidates, but his track record of success in the area is impressive.
One wild card is
Pat Casey. The former Oregon State coach retired in September 2018 after 24 years as a head coach and has been working in the athletic department since. But he’s never closed the door on returning to the dugout. It would be a big change, but would the chance to compete in the SEC lure Casey, 62, to College Station?
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