What do we think of Landon Powell for head coach?

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
He's amassed a .750 win percentage at North Greenville over a long tenure there. I'm generally opposed to hiring former players out of sentimentality, but he's shown coaching chops. I'd never consider the North Greenville football head coach for head coach in the SEC, but I'm not sure that's as relevant for baseball. NGU basically had no baseball program before arrived, and he's turned them into a consistent winner.
 

sclawman77

All-Conference
Jun 27, 2011
1,307
1,194
113
He's amassed a .750 win percentage at North Greenville over a long tenure there. I'm generally opposed to hiring former players out of sentimentality, but he's shown coaching chops. I'd never consider the North Greenville football head coach for head coach in the SEC, but I'm not sure that's as relevant for baseball. NGU basically had no baseball program before arrived, and he's turned them into a consistent winner.
I'm for it. Clean house though. Lee has to go too. Ray wants to give him a lifetime assistant contract.
 
Feb 11, 2006
92
151
33
He had some buzz before Ray unretired Mainieri.

Hiring a young guy 43 on the cheap, that has excelled at lower levels and you think will stick around when the succes returns due to ties to the program, that you dont have to immediately give a raise and extension after a sliver of success is not a bad idea.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PrestonyteParrot

Fried Chicken

All-Conference
Oct 9, 2006
1,970
1,992
113
The only issue I have with it is that he hasn’t recruited at this level or dealt with the NIL before. While I’d love nothing more than to hire him and see him turn it around, I do worry if we should make such a reach. If he weren’t a former SC player, would we do this? I’m not sure we would. I do wonder if he’d even want the job as it’s a completely different beast than what he’s doing now. The fact that he hasn’t taken a larger job already makes me think he might be content at NGU.

I guess I’d have a couple of guys I’d go after first and if we can’t get them, give Powell a shot. The other side of this is we’ve missed on guys in the past not hiring them like Gregg Marshall and Bobby Cremmins when he was at App State. Sometimes you have to take a chance on someone. But with Powell, there is a lot to discuss and I think he’s need someone to help manage the NIL stuff early on. God, please don’t let that person be Monte Lee.

So Powell wouldn’t be my first target, but certainly someone that we should give serious consideration to. You’d think Donati would have someone with Texas roots in mind as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dirtpecker

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
The only issue I have with it is that he hasn’t recruited at this level or dealt with the NIL before. While I’d love nothing more than to hire him and see him turn it around, I do worry if we should make such a reach. If he weren’t a former SC player, would we do this? I’m not sure we would. I do wonder if he’d even want the job as it’s a completely different beast than what he’s doing now. The fact that he hasn’t taken a larger job already makes me think he might be content at NGU.

I guess I’d have a couple of guys I’d go after first and if we can’t get them, give Powell a shot. The other side of this is we’ve missed on guys in the past not hiring them like Gregg Marshall and Bobby Cremmins when he was at App State. Sometimes you have to take a chance on someone. But with Powell, there is a lot to discuss and I think he’s need someone to help manage the NIL stuff early on. God, please don’t let that person be Monte Lee.

So Powell wouldn’t be my first target, but certainly someone that we should give serious consideration to. You’d think Donati would have someone with Texas roots in mind as well.

How important is NIL for baseball relative to, say, football?

I generally agree with your sentiment: would we be interested if he wasn't a former player? The answer: probably not.

But, unlike most times we throw former players' names out there for say football or basketball, he's actually demonstrated success as a head coach. I don't think the difference in coaching at NGU vs SEC is that great for baseball as it is for football, where it's worlds apart. The other upside: he knows success as a player and a coach. He played here when our baseball team had its first big run of success, going to 3 CWS in a row.

For me, baseball is much more of a "feel" game. Your great managers/coaches have an instinctive feel for the game. It's not football where you're calling every individual play. From what I tell from a distance, Powell seems to have that.

We will probably just hire a top assistant from an SEC program though. And that may work out fine.
 
Last edited:

sclawman77

All-Conference
Jun 27, 2011
1,307
1,194
113
Bradford saying this morning Mainieri is done after yesterday's performance. Can't get any worse. Nothing official though. This needs to happen soon.
 

18IsTheMan

Heisman
Oct 1, 2014
18,986
15,934
113
I think Bradford is advocating that he step down now because he's lost the team and let Lee finish as interim coach.
I'm certainly in favor of that.

I think the season ends catastrophically with him remaining at the helm. Maybe if you make a change you spark something in the team to generate a somewhat respectable season.
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
24,745
2,278
113
He's a strong Christians, so it could very well be he likes being at a place like NGU that aligns with his beliefs.
He is probably making around $70,000 a year at NGU. I imagine he could find a church he liked in Columbia if he was offered $750,000 a year to be head baseball coach.

Strong Christians like to make money too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sclawman77

Viennacock

All-Conference
Jan 21, 2022
2,929
2,727
113
How important is NIL for baseball relative to, say, football?

I generally agree with your sentiment: would we be interested if he wasn't a former player? The answer: probably not.

But, unlike most times we throw former players' names out there for say football or basketball, he's actually demonstrated success as a head coach. I don't think the difference in coaching at NGU vs SEC is that great for baseball as it is for football, where it's worlds apart. The other upside: he knows success as a player and a coach. He played here when our baseball team had its first big run of success, going to 3 CWS in a row.

For me, baseball is much more of a "feel" game. Your great managers/coaches have an instinctive feel for the game. It's not football where you're calling every individual play. From what I tell from a distance, Powell seems to have that.

We will probably just hire a top assistant from an SEC program though. And that may work out fine.
NIL is very important for top tier players. Their not getting nearly as much as football players but it's all relative. I think L.P. would hire the proper support staff to get him past the learning curve.

I think L.P. would be fine. I agree that there isn't a huge difference in coaching at the different levels. I think the travel / facilities / alumni base would be a huge difference but L.P. has been there, done that for the most part.
 

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
Step down?

Who in their right mind would willingly give up guaranteed millions for just showing up?
Donati could encourage him to resign by giving him his buyout, thus ending this disaster with some measure of grace.
 

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
NIL is very important for top tier players. Their not getting nearly as much as football players but it's all relative. I think L.P. would hire the proper support staff to get him past the learning curve.

I think L.P. would be fine. I agree that there isn't a huge difference in coaching at the different levels. I think the travel / facilities / alumni base would be a huge difference but L.P. has been there, done that for the most part.
I saw the news where LP now has an opening on his staff
 

Dabo's Weenie

Senior
Nov 30, 2024
655
728
93
Donati could encourage him to resign by giving him his buyout, thus ending this disaster with some measure of grace.

In that scenario he isn't walking away from the money, so I couldn't call it "stepping down" since it would be a de facto firing without cause resolution... regardless of what shade of lipstick they may try to put on that pig.
 

Jonesz21

Redshirt
May 14, 2023
78
45
18
He's amassed a .750 win percentage at North Greenville over a long tenure there. I'm generally opposed to hiring former players out of sentimentality, but he's shown coaching chops. I'd never consider the North Greenville football head coach for head coach in the SEC, but I'm not sure that's as relevant for baseball. NGU basically had no baseball program before arrived, and he's turned them into a consistent winner.
With our history we should be able to go steal one of the top coaches from another school. Like LSU does in football
 

RL09

Senior
Dec 29, 2025
478
554
93
In that scenario he isn't walking away from the money, so I couldn't call it "stepping down" since it would be a de facto firing without cause resolution... regardless of what shade of lipstick they may try to put on that pig.
he looked really defeated the other night after the UNCC game
 

Piscis

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2001
24,745
2,278
113
With our history we should be able to go steal one of the top coaches from another school. Like LSU does in football
I'm not sure a top coach is going to make a move based on "history". It would take making a salary offer he liked.

I can't see a top coach saying "I know they have no talent on the roster and have looked terrible recently, but, hey, they were a national power 12 years ago and that is what attracted me".
 

atl-cock

All-Conference
Jan 18, 2022
3,050
1,583
113
In that scenario he isn't walking away from the money, so I couldn't call it "stepping down" since it would be a de facto firing without cause resolution... regardless of what shade of lipstick they may try to put on that pig.
In this case, I believe applying lipstick is the right thing to do.
 

jasonscottinsc

Sophomore
Mar 8, 2023
139
165
43
He's amassed a .750 win percentage at North Greenville over a long tenure there. I'm generally opposed to hiring former players out of sentimentality, but he's shown coaching chops. I'd never consider the North Greenville football head coach for head coach in the SEC, but I'm not sure that's as relevant for baseball. NGU basically had no baseball program before arrived, and he's turned them into a consistent winner.
Absolutely not. No. You do not hire a D2 coach for his first D1 job as an SEC head coach. He might get there eventually and be great (or he might enjoy having success where he is without as many distractions at this level). But no, just because he is USC baseball alum, that doesn't mean it will work. D2 is a totally different animal, especially these days with how much college sports has changed. If Powell wants an SEC job, he needs to become the HC at a mid-major D1 or a top assistant at a Power 4 school first.

Nothing against Landon personally, but you don't hire him for the same reason you wouldn't hire any of the other D2 coaches who won the CWS the last decade. Shoot, if you were going to hire a D2 guy, you'd probably first go after Tampa's Joe Urso. That's closer to being a D1 job and he's won multiple championships.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bubba Fett

sclawman77

All-Conference
Jun 27, 2011
1,307
1,194
113
Absolutely not. No. You do not hire a D2 coach for his first D1 job as an SEC head coach. He might get there eventually and be great (or he might enjoy having success where he is without as many distractions at this level). But no, just because he is USC baseball alum, that doesn't mean it will work. D2 is a totally different animal, especially these days with how much college sports has changed. If Powell wants an SEC job, he needs to become the HC at a mid-major D1 or a top assistant at a Power 4 school first.

Nothing against Landon personally, but you don't hire him for the same reason you wouldn't hire any of the other D2 coaches who won the CWS the last decade. Shoot, if you were going to hire a D2 guy, you'd probably first go after Tampa's Joe Urso. That's closer to being a D1 job and he's won multiple championships.
Fair points but it can't get any worse either. The last several D1 guys we've hired (one won a CWS title) have been duds. I say at least hire Landon on the staff. These guys like Lake and Lee that have been mainstays with the program for many years have to go. Start fresh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cockofdawn

Cockofdawn

Junior
Aug 16, 2009
484
293
63
Absolutely not. No. You do not hire a D2 coach for his first D1 job as an SEC head coach. He might get there eventually and be great (or he might enjoy having success where he is without as many distractions at this level). But no, just because he is USC baseball alum, that doesn't mean it will work. D2 is a totally different animal, especially these days with how much college sports has changed. If Powell wants an SEC job, he needs to become the HC at a mid-major D1 or a top assistant at a Power 4 school first.

Nothing against Landon personally, but you don't hire him for the same reason you wouldn't hire any of the other D2 coaches who won the CWS the last decade. Shoot, if you were going to hire a D2 guy, you'd probably first go after Tampa's Joe Urso. That's closer to being a D1 job and he's won multiple championships.
I disagree. I think a young guy would help recruiting and maybe give a sense of he was part of a winning program here, so he knows how to win. And it wasn’t 50 years ago!!
 

atl-cock

All-Conference
Jan 18, 2022
3,050
1,583
113
Absolutely not. No. You do not hire a D2 coach for his first D1 job as an SEC head coach. He might get there eventually and be great (or he might enjoy having success where he is without as many distractions at this level). But no, just because he is USC baseball alum, that doesn't mean it will work. D2 is a totally different animal, especially these days with how much college sports has changed. If Powell wants an SEC job, he needs to become the HC at a mid-major D1 or a top assistant at a Power 4 school first.

Nothing against Landon personally, but you don't hire him for the same reason you wouldn't hire any of the other D2 coaches who won the CWS the last decade. Shoot, if you were going to hire a D2 guy, you'd probably first go after Tampa's Joe Urso. That's closer to being a D1 job and he's won multiple championships.
Akin to the Holbrook hire?
 

atl-cock

All-Conference
Jan 18, 2022
3,050
1,583
113
Fair points but it can't get any worse either. The last several D1 guys we've hired (one won a CWS title) have been duds. I say at least hire Landon on the staff. These guys like Lake and Lee that have been mainstays with the program for many years have to go. Start fresh.
Isn't Lake strictly in the broadcast booth these days?
 

Legal_fowl

Junior
Apr 3, 2019
467
280
63
The only issue I have with it is that he hasn’t recruited at this level or dealt with the NIL before. While I’d love nothing more than to hire him and see him turn it around, I do worry if we should make such a reach. If he weren’t a former SC player, would we do this? I’m not sure we would. I do wonder if he’d even want the job as it’s a completely different beast than what he’s doing now. The fact that he hasn’t taken a larger job already makes me think he might be content at NGU.

I guess I’d have a couple of guys I’d go after first and if we can’t get them, give Powell a shot. The other side of this is we’ve missed on guys in the past not hiring them like Gregg Marshall and Bobby Cremmins when he was at App State. Sometimes you have to take a chance on someone. But with Powell, there is a lot to discuss and I think he’s need someone to help manage the NIL stuff early on. God, please don’t let that person be Monte Lee.

So Powell wouldn’t be my first target, but certainly someone that we should give serious consideration to. You’d think Donati would have someone with Texas roots in mind as well.
Bring him in as an assistant under Schnall.
 

Fried Chicken

All-Conference
Oct 9, 2006
1,970
1,992
113
Bring him in as an assistant under Schnall.
Yeah I actually mentioned bringing him in as an assistant in another thread. Agree completely. That seems like a good step for him to move up the coaching ranks if he wants to. Of course he could also take another HC job somewhere. We’ll know soon if he’s content being at North Greenville or not.

My only concern with Schnall is that he’s only been a HC for 1 year. He inherited the team he took to the CWS. I’d still be happy with the hire, but it’s not a certainty that he could turn this thing around by rebuilding it. I think he could…just my only concern. The more I think about his situation, the more I think he’ll stay at Coastal. He’s been there forever, over 20 years as a player and an assistant, and will win a ton of games there every year in the Sun Belt. He won’t make quite as much money but he can contend for a Title there and if he wants to take a higher profile job down the road with more experience..he can. If he came here and built it, no doubt it would be the better job. I think he’ll interview and be interested, but I think he’ll play it safe and stay at Coastal. Just my gut feeling. Hopefully we can get him or somebody his caliber.
 
May 27, 2012
1,220
798
113
Yeah I actually mentioned bringing him in as an assistant in another thread. Agree completely. That seems like a good step for him to move up the coaching ranks if he wants to. Of course he could also take another HC job somewhere. We’ll know soon if he’s content being at North Greenville or not.

My only concern with Schnall is that he’s only been a HC for 1 year. He inherited the team he took to the CWS. I’d still be happy with the hire, but it’s not a certainty that he could turn this thing around by rebuilding it. I think he could…just my only concern. The more I think about his situation, the more I think he’ll stay at Coastal. He’s been there forever, over 20 years as a player and an assistant, and will win a ton of games there every year in the Sun Belt. He won’t make quite as much money but he can contend for a Title there and if he wants to take a higher profile job down the road with more experience..he can. If he came here and built it, no doubt it would be the better job. I think he’ll interview and be interested, but I think he’ll play it safe and stay at Coastal. Just my gut feeling. Hopefully we can get him or somebody his caliber.
Good points. There are HC out there who would obviously be interested in this job. Many assistants most of us know nothing about who could rebuild here. As many have said, this hire needs to be done correctly.