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).