Kevin Schnall discusses South Carolina opening as Coastal Carolina preps for NCAA Tournament

If there’s one thing that has remained consistent throughout South Carolina’s search for a new head baseball coach, it’s that Kevin Schnall’s name continues to be mentioned more than anyone else’s as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy.

Schnall, who’s in his second season as the head coach at Coastal Carolina, has been the most popular name connected to the opening since South Carolina and Paul Mainieri parted ways on March 21. And it will remain that way until the Gamecocks have their next coach, whether it’s Schnall or someone else.

From the first time he was publicly asked about the opening back in April, Schnall has consistently kept the focus on his team and the season Coastal Carolina is having. The Chanticleers are back in the NCAA Tournament and will open regional play Friday night in Tallahassee against Northern Illinois.

But during a radio interview with SportsTalk Media Network’s Phil Kornblut Tuesday evening, Schnall was asked directly about the Gamecocks and if there’s been any contact between the two sides.

“I know there’s a lot of rumors out there, but I have not spoken to the University of South Carolina regarding its baseball head coaching position,” Schnall said. “All of our focus right now is 100 percent on Coastal. South Carolina is an elite program that’s a job that’s going to obviously be a job that a lot of coaches will be very interested in, because of the commitment and the rich tradition of that program. But, like I said, at this point I have not spoken to the University of South Carolina regarding that position.”

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Schnall later mentioned that his agent has spoken to a search firm about the job at South Carolina but “has got very little information.”

And it makes a lot of sense as to why that’s the case. Again, while the Gamecocks’ season has been over since last Tuesday, Coastal Carolina is in the postseason, and if last year was any indication, it could be a few more weeks before Schnall’s season ends if the Chanticleers go on another deep run.

In his first season as head coach last year, Schnall led the Chanticleers to a 56-win campaign and was within two wins of a College World Series title before falling to eventual champion LSU.

So, depending on when the season ends, that’s when conversations could really start to heat up. And that’s going to be the case for any other candidate, many of whom are in the tournament as well.

Even as the rumors continue to circulate, Schnall didn’t appear concerned about any potential impact that could have on either his team’s performance or what’s at stake moving forward.

“It’s going to happen every single year,” Schnall said about his name being included in head coaching vacancies. “I’m very fortunate to be part of this successful program. Coach (Gary) Gilmore laid this foundation, and we’re continuing to build upon that foundation. At the end of the day, the success is why people are interested, and ultimately it’s going to happen every single year if we continue to be successful.”

Outside of a few seasons as an assistant at UCF, Schnall has spent nearly his entire college baseball career with the Chanticleers.

He was an All-American catcher playing for legendary head coach Gary Gilmore from 1995-99. He later served as an assistant on Gilmore’s staff from 2001-12 before returning to Coastal as the associate head coach from 2016-24.

Which does beg another important question here: Would Schnall even want to leave Coastal? Could he see himself remaining in Conway for the rest of his coaching career?

“Absolutely. I love this place. This is a great place to be,” he said. “As most people know, this is the place that gave me an opportunity to play Division I baseball. This place awarded me my college degree. This is the place that kick-started my coaching career. It is a really special place to my family and me. I love Coastal Carolina with all my heart, and I’m a very proud alum.”

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