The University of Texas has its next baseball coach.
The Longhorns and Jim Schlossnagle have come to an agreement to make him the 15th baseball coach in Texas history, and just the fourth since 1968, the school announced Tuesday evening.
Schlossnagle will replace David Pierce, who was fired Monday after eight seasons in Austin.
The agreement comes one day after Texas A&M fell to Tennessee in Game 3 of the College World Series Finals, at which point Schlossnagle indicated he did not intend to leave College Station.
“I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you, but I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M,” Schlossnagle said following the Aggies’ 6-5 defeat to Tennessee in Game 3 of the College World Series Finals in Omaha, Nebraska. “I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn’t changed in my mind.
“That’s unfair to talk about something like that. That would be like you asking (Aggies outfielder Braden) Montgomery if he’s going to sign in the (MLB) draft, but I understand you’ve got to ask the question. But I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job, and I poured every ounce of my soul in this job, and I gave this job every ounce I could possibly give it. Write that.”
Schlossnagle‘s introductory press conference is set for Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Pierce went 297–162 (.647) in those eight seasons, advancing to the College World Series three times, including 2021 and 2022, and playing in a Super Regional in 2023, but the program’s trajectory went south in 2024. Texas went just 36-24, was finished at the Big 12 Tournament after just two games, and failed to make the regional final at the Bryan-College Station Regional earlier this month.
Schlossnagle’s hiring marks three things.
It comes five days before Texas officially joins the SEC on Monday after 27 years in the Big 12, it continues a trend of Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte acting quickly when he has a head coaching vacancy to fill, and it marks a reunion between Schlossnagle (TCU baseball coach from 2004-21) and Del Conte (TCU AD from 2009-17).
“What a great day it is to be a Longhorn,” Del Conte said in a statement. “We are absolutely thrilled to have Coach Schlossnagle joining our Longhorn Family, and like everything we do, we couldn’t have made this happen without the incredible leadership in our chairman of the board of regents and our president. Chairman Eltife and President Hartzell are a critical piece in every decision we make, they are such great friends and counsel, and together help us make great days like today happen for Longhorn Nation. I can’t thank them enough.”
Added UT President Jay Hartzell: “What a home run hire. Coach Schlossnagle is the best in the business, his long list of accomplishments is incredible, and his track record of building great programs is well documented. We are the premier baseball program in the country with legendary coaches, our six national championships and record 38 College World Series appearances, so it’s certainly fitting that we hired a coach of his caliber to lead us. We’re looking forward to great days ahead with Coach Schloss leading our Longhorns.”
As a point of reference, Del Conte hired women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer two days after his predecessor, Karen Aston, was fired, while football coach Steve Sarkisian agreed to take over that program on the same day Tom Herman was let go.
Schlossnagle marks the first baseball hire Del Conte has had to make since he came aboard as AD in 2017. That fact doesn’t register at the majority of Division I schools, but the Longhorns are different. Winner of six College World Series, with six runner-up finishes and 38 total CWS appearances since 1949, Texas remains one of the country’s preeminent college baseball brands.
Details of Schlossnagle’s contract were not immediately available.
