Jim Schlossnagle

[messageboardsuperhero]

Schlossnagle has been a D1 head baseball coach for 16 complete seasons. In all but two of those seasons, he has won either a conference regular season championship, conference tournament championship, or both. The only two years he didn’t were his very first season ever as a head coach and TCU’s first season in the Big 12. He has been to seven super regionals in the last nine years, and five of those times advanced to the CWS. Schlossnagle has been selected as the USA collegiate team’s head coach, which is an incredible honor. Since moving to the Big 12, (after taking a year to adjust) Schlossnagle has won 50 games/year and made four straight CWS appearances.

I understand everyone’s infatuation with Dan McDonnell, and if you put a gun to my head and I absolutely had to pick someone, he’d probably be my slight preference... But Jim Schlossnagle takes a back seat to no one in all of college baseball. Should we be fortunate enough to hire him, it would be the biggest statement hire of the last 20+ years in college baseball.

 

[Shmuley]

He’s 47, according to wiki. Thought he was older.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

I guess he'll do...

 

[512taylor]

Schlossnagle has been a D1 head baseball coach for 16 complete seasons. In all but two of those seasons, he has won either a conference regular season championship, conference tournament championship, or both. The only two years he didn’t were his very first season ever as a head coach and TCU’s first season in the Big 12. He has been to seven super regionals in the last nine years, and five of those times advanced to the CWS. Schlossnagle has been selected as the USA collegiate team’s head coach, which is an incredible honor. Since moving to the Big 12, (after taking a year to adjust) Schlossnagle has won 50 games/year and made four straight CWS appearances.

I understand everyone’s infatuation with Dan McDonnell, and if you put a gun to my head and I absolutely had to pick someone, he’d probably be my slight preference... But Jim Schlossnagle takes a back seat to no one in all of college baseball. Should we be fortunate enough to hire him, it would be the biggest statement hire of the last 20+ years in college baseball.

I can already imagine the immature, smarta$$ remarks when it comes to spelling his last name by some folks' messages.

 

[coach66]

Well, my guy says McDonell but I'd take the TCU guy all day long. We are going

to be Elite as hell in college baseball for a long, long, time.

 

[MSUDC11]

I love McDonnell but Schloss may actually be the better coach. Either would be the most high profile hire in college baseball in over 20 years.

 

[Shmuley]

Thanks for bringing that up, 517tailor

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

I was expecting a more impressive resume***

 

[57stratdawg]

Pointy elbows...

 

[preacher_dawg]

Nope, I would have to learn how to spell his name.

 

[engie]

I don't know who it is going to be, but here's what was given to me as a firsthand update:
- McDonnell's wife didn't like living in Mississippi previously. As we've seen with Megan Mullen, this standard can be flexible when enough zeros are involved, so we'll see.
- McDonnell is unsure of his new AD at Louisville. He does not actively hate the guy yet. Just had a great repoire with Jurich.
- I do not know if Jurich's firing waived his buyout or not.
- Great repoire with John Cohen.

- Schlossnagle hates his new AD.
- Word is going around that he will take the job if offered and is actively campaigning for it behind the scenes now.
- Is a natural fit in a way with Gautreau here now. Would hope he could bring Saarloos with him, but he might very well get the TCU head job.
- Schlossnagle's buyout is waived with Chris Del Conte(former TCU AD) leaving for Texas.
- Does not play well with others. Not well liked by a ton of coaches throughout the profession. Which, to me, is probably a good thing. Cohen-like.
- My source on the matter expects Schloss and Gary Patterson to both walk at their best opportunity before re-upping their contracts(because both buyouts are waived right now). Timing on this stuff is everything and it looks like we are in the right spot for the baseball hire. Would sure hate to see Gary Patterson at somewhere like LSU though.

 

[patdog]

I understand everyone’s infatuation with Dan McDonnell, and if you put a gun to my head and I absolutely had to pick someone, he’d probably be my slight preference.

I have a suspicion that a lot of people are so fixated on McDonnell because that would get under the skin of our neighbors to the northwest. And that is the WRONG reason to hire anyone. McDonnell would be an outstanding choice. So would Scholssnagle, Corbin or Tadlock.

 

[dawgstudent]

Ian Repoireport.

 

[engie]

I have a suspicion that a lot of people are so fixated on McDonnell because that would get under the skin of our neighbors to the northwest. And that is the WRONG reason to hire anyone. McDonnell would be an outstanding choice. So would Scholssnagle, Corbin or Tadlock.

Schlossnagle is going to really get under their skin as well. He's their other dream coach. Just as active a name as McDonnell everytime they appoint Bianco back to the hot seat for having a single season at their historical average instead of flying way above it.

 

[Duke Humphrey]

This.......

I don't know who it is going to be, but here's what was given to me as a firsthand update:

- Is a natural fit in a way with Gautreau here now. Would hope he could bring Saarloos with him, but he might very well get the TCU head job.

His and Jake's relationship is a plus, because keeping Jake would add some sort of continuity going forward.

 

[AlSwearengen]

Schlossnagle has won everywhere he has been and tcu was not very good before he arrived. 4 straight cws appearances and this year he lost his best player and pitcher among others.

His recruiting classes over the last four years have been slightly ahead of Louisville on average.

If if we get him or McDonnell, they will probably go down as the best coaches we have had.

Schlossnagle excites me a tad more.

 

[HumpDawgy]

Schlossnagle sounds like a verse in the Laverne and Shirley opening song.

 

[Rog.sixpack]

When did Schlossnagle start hating Donati?

- Schlossnagle hates his new AD.

During Donati's 6 year tenure at TCU before becoming AD, or after he signed off on his elevation to the Director position?

The dynamic in the relationship between the three coaches and the new athletic director is clear. If any or all did not sign off on the move, it’s likely Donati would not be in his new position.“All three were very supportive of me being the next athletic director,” said Donati, a 40-year-old Washingtonian who came to TCU in 2011 to work with the Frog Club and wound up as deputy athletic director by 2016.

I mean really. Read this article - Schloss is on the record giving glowing reviews, recommending Donati for other AD jobs. I'll take the rest of your post with a giant grain of salt.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/texas-christian-university/article189409249.html

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

To get a coach of Schlossnagle’s stature and accomplishments to leave TCU and the city of Fort Worth for Starkville would be highly impressive. TCU/Fort Worth trumps Starkville & State in almost every imaginable way. State’s advantage would be a more diehard fan base and a beautiful stadium.

Hiring either coach from TCU or Louisville would be a grand slam. TCU’s coach is actually the more accomplished of the two.

 

[Digging dog]

We already had one coach that let his Schlossnagle get him fired. ***

 

[MSUDC11]

The thought of Schloss as our head coach and Saarloos as our pitching coach has me giddy like a school girl. That said, Saarloos is getting a head coaching job this year (either Rice or TCU if we hire Schloss).

Hopefully the IB can make this happen.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Found this post on an aTm board, purportedly from a former TCU ball-player. Interesting, if true, and speaks well of the job Schlossnagle has done:

Frog fan and former player here - just wanted to chime in and correct some misunderstandings regarding TCU having an advantage because it's private. While certain schools like Vandy, Stanford, and Rice do have a decided advantage in baseball because of the gigantic endowments relative to size of student body, Tcu is not in that class. In order to be permissible, the school can only offer aid to players on the same basis that it is offered to the entire student body. Otherwise, it would be cheating.

So Vanderbilt, rice, and Stanford all give need based financial aid to every student enrolled - you basically pay what you can afford. This allows them to draw from a pool of talent that tcu just can't. Tcu has to spread the 11.7 scholarships around and then find kids whose parents can afford to foot the rest of the bill. I only wish the school endowment was large enough to offer aid to the entire student body, but we aren't even close.


Frankly, if there were any reason Schloss would ever leave, it would be because he is at a decided competitive disadvantage to less expensive schools. It's tough making 11.7 work anywhere, but especially when yearly tuition is above $50k as it is now at TCU.

 

[Mayor of Little London]

Schlossnagle sounds like a verse in the Laverne and Shirley opening song.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^this guy gets it!^^^^^^^^

 

[BiscuitEater]

I have a suspicion that a lot of people are so fixated on McDonnell because that would get under the skin of our neighbors to the northwest.

Nope, I prefer McDonnell because of the 3 .. (Him, Corbin and Schlossnagle) ONLY McDonnell is competing under the 'same type' public school limits as MSU.

BOTH Corbin and Schlossnagle have been at their current schools ~15 years and I think that they have a built-in advantage over others in their respective conferences and AREN'T leaving.

 

[patdog]

Interesting.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Found this post on an aTm board, purportedly from a former TCU ball-player. Interesting, if true, and speaks well of the job Schlossnagle has done:

While certain schools like Vandy, Stanford, and Rice do have a decided advantage in baseball because of the gigantic endowments relative to size of student body, Tcu is not in that class. In order to be permissible, the school can only offer aid to players on the same basis that it is offered to the entire student body. Otherwise, it would be cheating.

Agree, that TCU is not in Vandy/Stafford mold BUT TCU's endowment is OVER $1.5B. It's more than Baylor and SMU. Yearly cost is ~$62K. They ABSOLUTELY offer 'need based' financial aid to EVERY student. 98.7% of applicants with financial need are given aid.

ANYBODY that thinks that TCU is only giving out the 'equivalent' of 11.7 is going to have to prove it.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Yep. If this is true, then Schloss just moved way up my ladder. In the other thread I had him as a distant 2nd to McDonnell due to McDonnell having proven success at a public school.

Assuming it is true, I'd be just as happy with Schlossnagle, but still not wanting Corbin...not because I think Corbin isn't good enough, rather because we really don't have any data to support Corbin can do it when he can't offer full-rides to any player he wants. So, I think Corbin is a riskier hire at MSU than McDonnell or Schlossnagle.

 

[blacklistedbully]

That doesn't mean all students are given full rides. That 98.7 can include any level of aid provided.

That said, I haven't studied their need-based statistics, so you may be correct. It's just your bolded statement doesn't really say that much. I suspect TCU does find extra funding...but not on the level of Vandy/Stanford/Rice. The number of recent Top 10 recruting classes and Top 100 players committed would support this, as TCU has signed more Top 100 players than most other schools, but Vandy has signed 2.5 times as many in the same period.

What's interesting is how well O'Sullivan has recruited at UF, though UF does have a lottery scholarship program that helps. UF is undoubtedly buoyed considerably by their success, and the fact that O'Sullivan does appear to be a relentless recruiter.

 

[MSUDC11]

Agree, that TCU is not in Vandy/Stafford mold BUT TCU's endowment is OVER $1.5B. It's more than Baylor and SMU. Yearly cost is ~$62K. They ABSOLUTELY offer 'need based' financial aid to EVERY student. 98.7% of applicants with financial need are given aid.

ANYBODY that thinks that TCU is only giving out the 'equivalent' of 11.7 is going to have to prove it.

Well public schools find ways to supplement that too. I don’t think TCU is at a disadvantage, but they are certainly on a more level playing field than Vandy.

 

[patdog]

That's what everyone bitching about the private schools ignores. NOBODY is playing with 11.7 scholarships. Yes, there are rules about how the 11.7 can be supplemented. But like all rules, they get bent all the time.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Yep. If this is true, then Schloss just moved way up my ladder. In the other thread I had him as a distant 2nd to McDonnell due to McDonnell having proven success at a public school.

It's really hard to find 'ground truth' and TCU sure doesn't publish ANY data about how much it is giving in sports aid. AND, beyond limits on football and basketball, don't think NCAA is interested in baseball at all.

 

[BiscuitEater]

That doesn't mean all students are given full rides. That 98.7 can include any level of aid provided.

According to TCU, average aid given to 'need based students' is over $29K per year.

 

[Shamoan]

if he is coaching andy on how to handle his bat, color me extremely nervous.**

 

[blacklistedbully]

Tuition alone is $47k. With room & board, etc, actual cost is $61k per year.

 

[engie]

During Donati's 6 year tenure at TCU before becoming AD, or after he signed off on his elevation to the Director position?

I'll ask him the next time I talk to him**

I mean really. Read this article - Schloss is on the record giving glowing reviews, recommending Donati for other AD jobs. I'll take the rest of your post with a giant grain of salt.

Nothing says you truly want to work for a guy quite like promoting him for other positions. And Dan Mullen never had an friction with the administration here either. It was all perfect. Because you can read it in a million news articles**

Take it however you want to take it. But we'll see if he's coaching at TCU or Mississippi State next season -- and if we increase what is already the highest yearly salary in college baseball that he currently has. Why would we still be talking about this if it wasn't real? Why would he consider leaving what he has to come here -- if there wasn't a problem there?

 

[engie]

That's what everyone bitching about the private schools ignores. NOBODY is playing with 11.7 scholarships. Yes, there are rules about how the 11.7 can be supplemented. But like all rules, they get bent all the time.

Bingo.

Total scholly money on our roster now is double or triple what it was back during the Polk days. Because we quit making excuses and started making solutions. Why do people honestly think the team GPA keeps going up every semester? Nevermind the openings on private/endowed scholarships that are applied for and decided privately. We've done a really good job on this to the point it's really a non-issue. We will never be Vanderbilt, but we aren't playing with a half deck against LSU, etc anymore. We currently have a #1 overall prospect committed from Oakdale friggin Pennsylvania. With no head coach. Let that sink in. Granted -- he's never coming to school. But signing with Mississippi State doesn't grant him a Vanderbilt education after baseball is over. Something to think about.

 

[blacklistedbully]

They get bent to varying degrees, but there are only a select few who are able to do what Vandy does, and Vandy does not have to bend anything. They can give full rides to any and all they offer. They can even, if they so choose, go over the roster limit as long as anyone not on the roster does not participate in workouts, etc during the official season.

Some public schools close a bit of the gap by other means, most commonly lottery-backed scholarships that may not have to adhere to common public-school rules for how they are dispersed when federal funds are used, etc. This gives them a leg-up on pubic schools that either don't have such programs, or elect not to use them this way, and on private schools that also choose not to use their ability for whatever reason (keep in mind, very few baseball programs make money). But it usually puts them still at a disadvantage against certain schools like Vanderbilt.

That said, you can still play just 11 players at any given time, so everybody has at least a chance. It's just that, over time, the ones that can and do take better advantage of "loopholes" and have good coaching are far more likely to win on a regular basis...particularly since they can load up on elite pitching, and that's the name-of-the-game these past few years.

BTW, there are schools that play with just 11.7, and many that don't even reach that limit. Here's an article Kevin Rogers put out in 2015, and some excerpts:
https://d1baseball.com/columns/the-state-of-college-baseball-2015-edition/

There has been a significant gap between the major powers and everybody else for a while anyway, because a hefty amount of college programs are still not even up to par with the standard 11.7 scholarships.

“Two years ago we did an analysis and the number of programs at 11.7 were small, but there were a lot in that 9-10.7 counters type of range. They weren’t quite fully funded,” he added. “There are a lot of programs out there still giving out three to four scholarship equivalencies and I know those coaches don’t want more aid. With that said, there are athletic directors around the country trying to be more broad based and wanting to throw more resources at programs, so it’s an interesting issue and debate.” - NCAA director of baseball Damani Leech

Baseball has the vast number of teams that basketball possesses, but also has many of the same financial differences of football programs, say teams in the SEC, Big 12, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC versus the Southland Conference in football. While, for instance, Texas, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, UCLA and others might have vast recruiting and other budgets in baseball, many programs are not only still trying to get to 11.7 scholarships, but also attempting to A) have an adequate recruiting budget and B) pay quality assistants enough to create some continuity within the program. Those aren’t easy challenges to overcome to just be competitive, much less be a name on the national stage.

One of the most pressing concerns from many coaches about the current state of college baseball is how the 11.7 scholarships mixes in with financial and need-based aid. While plenty of programs receive almost no need-based aid and strictly adhere to the 11.7, others either have the luxury of an in-state tuition, lottery, etc./need program, or, in some instances, private institutions have a significant amount of need-based aid that simply dwarfs some of their national, and even, conference counterparts.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Exceptions don't prove the rule.

# of Top 100 players signed over the 9 classes PG has ranked:

Vandy - 42
MSU - 11

All kinds of things can factor in with this stuff, including opportunity to play. For example. Vandy being able to offer full rides to anyone and everyone they want is a huge advantage for them, but at some point, their roster full of elite pitchers may cause another pitching recruit to decide getting playing time there soon extremely unlikely.

Just like in other sports, returning players can have an effect on some recruits, but not so much with others.

It's not a simple, one-plan-fits-all equation, but any program that can and does offer full rides to every recruit it wants to has a big advantage vs those who can't or won't. While creative programs can close the gap some, it doesn't make it a non-issue, or even a small issue. The difference between winning the SEC vs coming in 2nd through 10th can come down to 1 or 2 pitchers.

Sometimes injuries are the deciding factor, but sometimes it's because one school has more elite pitching depth than the others. It varies, but it is crazy to think there is little advantage gained in being able to offer as many full scholarships/grants as one wants.

As for State, we're better off than the majority of D1 programs out there, but at the same time, we are at a significant disadvantage to Vandy, and appear to have been at something of a disadvantage to other SEC schools. You say we are closing the gap on the latter, and if that's true, then great. But unless you are telling me we have finagled a way to offer full rides to 35 players, I can't accept we are anywhere close to Vandy and/or the advantage Corbin has there.

 

[MedDawg]

Tuition alone is $47k. With room & board, etc, actual cost is $61k per year.

Rough Estimates: The cost of attending MSU is 20% of TCU. An 80% scholarship from TCU = same out of pocket costs as attending State with no scholarship. If we give a 50% scholarship to a player, TCU has to give 90% for the player to pay the same out of pocket costs. Same with Vandy and Rice. Seems we have the advantage.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

Ian Repoireport.

Engie spelling tips forthcoming in the next SPS Magazine.