South Carolina Taps Schnall to Revitalize Baseball Program

South Carolina is set to hire Kevin Schnall as its next head baseball coach, pending board approval. Schnall comes to Columbia after a successful tenure at Coastal Carolina, where he served as head coach since 2025. His appointment follows the parting of ways between the university and former coach Paul Mainieri in March 2026.

Schnall takes over a South Carolina program aiming to regain national relevance, having experienced its two worst seasons in history. His immediate goal will be to guide the Gamecocks back to the College World Series, a feat not achieved since 2012.

During his time at Coastal Carolina, Schnall achieved significant success. In his inaugural season as head coach in 2025, he led the Chanticleers to 56 wins and a runner-up finish in the College World Series. That same year, Coastal Carolina secured both the Sun Belt regular-season and conference tournament titles.

His coaching accolades in 2025 included Baseball America's College Coach of the Year, Sun Belt Coach of the Year, and Perfect Game Coach of the Year. In 2026, Coastal Carolina continued its success under Schnall, winning 37 games and making a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Schnall's coaching career is deeply rooted in Coastal Carolina, where he was an All-American catcher from 1995-1999. He began his coaching career as an assistant there from 2001-2012. After a three-season stint as an assistant at UCF (2013-2016), he returned to Coastal Carolina in 2016 as associate head coach, contributing to their 2016 College World Series championship before becoming head coach in 2025. His overall record as Coastal's head coach stands at 93-36.