Gamecock Digest

South Carolina AD Ray Tanner Reveals How Paul Mainieri Was Offered Gamecocks Job

Joseph Griffin, Joseph Griffin

New South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri at the podium during his introductory press conference / Photo - South Carolina Athletics
New South Carolina head coach Paul Mainieri at the podium during his introductory press conference / Photo - South Carolina Athletics /

The South Carolina Gamecocks were at one point the standard in college baseball. They repeated as national champions, winning the College World Series in 2010 and 2011, only to follow that up with a runner-up finish in 2012. In fact, they are the last program in college baseball to repeat as national title winners.

What they did under then head coach Ray Tanner was nothing short of remarkable. That standard set under Tanner wasn't exaclty met under former head coach Mark Kingston. Yet another loss in a regional left now Athletics Director Ray Tanner looking for a new skipper. Tanner, having a long list of relationships in the coaching world, picked up the phone and called another legendary former head coach, LSU's Paul Mainieri. Now, Mainieri had been out of the coaching game for three full seasons now, so when Tanner first called Mainieri, it wasn't about offering him a job.

"I called him for advice on the coaching search," said Tanner. He wanted to get Mainieri's advice on potential candidates, and after feeling out his friend on the phone, Tanner realized there might be some personal interest on Mainieri's side. "How bout you?" Tanner said he asked Mainieri, and well, here we are. Mainieri was officially announced as the new Gamecocks head coach on Thursday, June 13th.

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Joseph Griffin
JOSEPH GRIFFIN

Joseph Griffin
JOSEPH GRIFFIN

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