Coaching Carousel — all moves from the 2023-24 offseason

D-I baseball coaching carousel

After 50-plus moves in the 2022-23 offseason, the D-I baseball coaching carousel was spinning in full effect once again — 42 programs moved on to new faces ahead of the 2024 season.

The first hiring was a promotion — Southern Miss tabbed pitching coach Christian Ostrander as the replacement to longtime head coach Scott Berry, who announced his incoming retirement in mid-May. In mid-December, the final job change saw UNC Greensboro’s Billy Godwin depart for the Yankees in a scouting role with Cody Ellis stepping up in an interim capacity.

Here’s a look at all 42 openings, with tenures ranging from a single year to 14 separate coaches exiting after a decade-plus in charge.

Job Openings
2023-24 Offseason
Program Departing Coach Tenure Record Win % Last NCAA App.
Miami Gino DiMare 5 168-86 0.661 2023
Southern Miss Scott Berry 14 528-276-1 0.657 2023
Maryland Rob Vaughn 6 183-117 0.610 2023
Alabama Brad Bohannon 6 166-124 0.572 2023
Boston College Mike Gambino 13 291-366 0.443 2023
Central Michigan Jordan Bischel 5 177-80 0.689 2022
Southeastern Louisiana Matt Riser 10 320-224 0.588 2022
Georgia Scott Stricklin 10 299-236-1 0.559 2022
UNC Greensboro Billy Godwin 4 98-94 0.510 2022
New Mexico State Mike Kirby 4 56-79 0.415 2022
Jacksonville State Jim Case 22 673-559 0.546 2019
Cincinnati Scott Googins 6 143-157 0.477 2019
Loyola Marymount Nathan Choate 4 77-95-1 0.448 2019
San Diego State Mark Martinez 9 257-217 0.542 2018
Morehead State Mik Aoki 4 92-80 0.535 2018
Northwestern State Bobby Barbier 7 181-169 0.517 2018
Central Florida Greg Lovelady 7 225-149 0.602 2017
Long Beach State Eric Valenzuela 4 100-69 0.592 2017
Navy Paul Kostacopoulos 18 523-373-5 0.583 2016
St. Mary’s CA Greg Moore 4 81-92 0.468 2016
Siena Tony Rossi 54 936-1208-8 0.437 2014
Wichita State Loren Hibbs 1 30-25 0.545 2013
Missouri Steve Bieser 7 188-155-1 0.548 2012
Washington State Brian Green 4 91-79 0.535 2010
Milwaukee Scott Doffek 17 438-462-2 0.487 2010
Eastern Michigan Eric Roof 6 104-180-1 0.367 2008
Wofford Todd Interdonato 16 455-421-1 0.519 2007
Memphis Kerrick Jackson 1 29-28 0.509 2007
Miami-Ohio Danny Hayden 10 241-274 0.468 2005
Richmond Tracy Woodson 10 238-245-2 0.493 2003
Penn State Rob Cooper 10 198-270 0.423 2000
Akron Tim Donnelly 1 21-34 0.382 1996
Northern Illinois Mike Kunigonis 9 148-301 0.330 1972
Northwestern Jim Foster 1 10-40 0.200 1957
Lindenwood Doug Bletcher 16 464-343-1 0.575
Umass Lowell Ken Harring 19 464-446-1 0.510
North Florida Tim Parenton 6 136-148 0.479
Tarleton State Aaron Meade 4 77-107 0.418
Queens Ross Steedley 3 55-81 0.404
Mississippi Valley State Milton Barney 1 15-37 0.288
Maryland-Eastern Shore Brian Hollamon 5 61-170 0.264
Western Illinois Tayler Sheriff 1 12-40 0.231

Five teams fresh off NCAA Tournament appearances ended up with new coaches: That group included a resignation, a retirement, a scandal-induced firing, and two departures to other schools.

Here’s a look how those openings were filled, grouped by new hires and internal promotions.

New Head Coaches
2023-24 Offseason
Promotion (Assistant to Head Coach)
UNC Greensboro AC➔ UNC Greensboro Cody Ellis
Lindenwood AC➔ Lindenwood PJ Finigan
Long Beach State AC➔ Long Beach State Bryan Peters (interim)
Maryland AC➔ Maryland Matt Swope
Miami AC➔ Miami JD Arteaga
Milwaukee AC➔ Milwaukee Shaun Wegner
Morehead State AC➔ Morehead State Braeden Ward
Northwestern State AC➔ Northwestern State Chris Bertrand
San Diego State AC➔ San Diego State Shaun Cole
Southern Miss AC➔ Southern Miss Christian Ostrander
Wofford AC➔ Wofford JJ Edwards
New Hire (External HC/AC Hire)
St. Edwards HC➔ Akron Bryan Faulds
Maryland HC➔ Alabama Rob Vaughn
Wofford HC➔ Boston College Todd Interdonato
Northwood HC➔ Central Michigan Jake Sabol
Central Michigan HC➔ Cincinnati Jordan Bischel
Charleston (WV) HC➔ Eastern Michigan Robbie Britt
LSU AC➔ Georgia Wes Johnson
Missouri HC➔ Jacksonville State Steve Bieser
UC Santa Barbara AC➔ Loyola Marymount Donegal Fergus
Iowa Lakes CC HC➔ Maryland-Eastern Shore Danny Acosta
SE Louisiana HC➔ Memphis Matt Riser
Indiana State AC➔ Miami-Ohio Brian Smiley
Saint Louis CC AC➔ Mississippi Valley State CJ Bilbrey
Memphis HC➔ Missouri Kerrick Jackson
Florida State AC➔ Navy Chuck Ristano
Oregon AC➔ New Mexico State Jake Angier
Pittsburgh AC➔ North Florida Joe Mercadante
Illinois-Springfield HC➔ Northern Illinois Ryan Copeland
Michigan AC➔ Northwestern Ben Greenspan
Boston College HC➔ Penn State Mike Gambino
Austin Peay AC➔ Queens Jake Hendrick
Morehead State HC➔ Richmond Mik Aoki
Long Beach State HC➔ St. Mary’s CA Eric Valenzuela
Princeton AC➔ Siena Alex Jurczynski
Northwestern State HC➔ Southeastern Louisiana Bobby Barbier
Sam Houston State AC➔ Tarleton State Fuller Smith
Florida State AC➔ Central Florida Rich Wallace
Merrimack HC➔ UMass Lowell Nick Barese
Loyola Marymount HC➔ Washington State Nathan Choate
Portland State AC➔ Western Illinois Terry Davis
Washington State HC➔ Wichita State Brian Green

Thirteen coaches that were manning one D-I program in 2023 have swapped uniforms for another. Here’s a look at how they did at their previous stops, with two of them — Matt Riser and Steve Bieser — quickly landing on their feet after being relieved of their duties heading into the offseason.

D1 -> D1 Head Coach Changes
2023-24 Offseason
New School Name Previous School Tenure W-L-T Win%
Cincinnati Jordan Bischel Central Michigan 5 177-80 0.689
Alabama Rob Vaughn Maryland 6 183-117 0.610
St. Mary’s CA Eric Valenzuela Long Beach State 4 100-69 0.592
Memphis Matt Riser SE Louisiana 10 320-224 0.588
Jacksonville State Steve Bieser Missouri 7 188-155-1 0.548
UMass Lowell Nick Barese Merrimack 7 153-129 0.543
Richmond Mik Aoki Morehead State 4 92-80 0.535
Wichita State Brian Green Washington State 4 91-79 0.535
Boston College Todd Interdonato Wofford 16 455-421-1 0.519
Southeastern Louisiana Bobby Barbier Northwestern State 7 181-169 0.517
Missouri Kerrick Jackson Memphis 1 29-28 0.509
Washington State Nathan Choate Loyola Marymount 4 77-95-1 0.448
Penn State Mike Gambino Boston College 13 291-366 0.443

Of that group, Central Michigan’s Jordan Bischel was the most successful — he won 177 games (.689 winning percentage) over five years with the Chippewas. It’s a big jump from the MAC to the Big 12, but he’s show his program-building prowess.

Maryland’s Rob Vaughn had a similarly strong tenure in the Big Ten and leaves for the best conference in collegiate baseball, the SEC. Eric Valenzuela is back at Saint Mary’s after a 100-win, four-year stretch at Long Beach State.

Perhaps most surprising: Southeastern Louisiana fired Matt Riser after 10 years and a .588 winning percentage and he quickly found a new role in Memphis (replacing Kerrick Jackson, who appears later on the list).