The past few seasons are ones many Gamecock baseball fans are hoping to forget. 

After missing out on the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, South Carolina fired much of its staff, including interim coach Monte Lee and pitching coach Terry Rooney. 

This move comes weeks after the Gamecocks and head coach Paul Mainieri parted ways midseason. 

South Carolina finished 2026 (22-35) overall and (7-23) in the SEC. It was the worst season in team history. 

The Gamecocks ended their year in the first round of the SEC tournament, losing to Tennessee 11-6. South Carolina dropped 13 straight games to close the year out.   

2025 wasn’t much better for the Gamecocks as the team went (28-29) and (6-24) in SEC play. 

Lee has been with the program since 2022 and was a holdover of Mark Kingston’s staff. When Kingston was fired in 2024, Mainieri kept him on as the associate head coach and hitting coach.

Rooney joined the team as part of Mainieri’s staff. Under his guidance, South Carolina had its worst individual pitching season, giving up a 6.41 ERA in 2025. 

The Gamecocks improved in that area a bit in 2026, but still finished in the bottom half of the SEC. 

Assistant coach John Hendry was also let go. He also joined the program as part of Mainieri’s staff. 

Assistant coach Chris Gordon, strength and conditioning coach Billy Anderson and director of program development Stuart Lake are still with the program. They will stay on staff until a new coach is hired, then a decision will be made on their status. 

South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati is in the middle of the hiring process. The Gamecocks have reportedly narrowed down their search to just a few coaches. 

Donati confirmed the team was doing interviews last week. 

Coastal Carolina’s Kevin Schnall and West Virginia’s Steve Sabins are among the coaches in consideration, according to D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rodgers. 

Whoever is hired will be tasked with reviving a once-great college baseball program that has struggled under its previous head coaches. 

The Gamecocks have not contended for a College World Series title since Ray Tanner was in the dugout.