Jim Schlossnagle named Texas A&M baseball coach

Schlossnagle photo courtesy of TCU Athletics.

Two-time National Coach of the Year Jim Schlossnagle was named the 20th head coach in Texas A&M baseball annals, Director of Athletics Ross Bjork announced Wednesday.  

 "When we started our coaching search, we made sure we covered all of our bases within Texas and across the country by reaching far and wide to find the right fit for Texas A&M baseball," Bjork said. "As our search progressed, it became abundantly clear that Jim Schlossnagle had the experience, recruiting prowess, player development background and baseball knowledge to deliver a championship-caliber program for Aggie baseball. He owns the best winning percentage of any college baseball program in Texas over the last 10 years and his track record of success on a national stage speaks for itself. Texas A&M deserves to have the very best of the best, and we have hit a proverbial 'grand slam' with Coach Schlossnagle. We are excited to welcome Coach Schlossnagle, Jackson, and Kati to Aggieland and Texas A&M."   

Schlossnagle has enjoyed tremendous success during his 20-year career as a head coach, including the last 18 seasons at TCU. He guided the Horned Frogs to five College World Series, making their Omaha debut in 2010 and adding four consecutive CWS trips from 2014-17. TCU was one of just three schools to appear in five of the last 10 College World Series. The Horned Frogs posted an 11-10 mark in Omaha, including being one of the last four teams standing in 2010 and 2017.  

"I am extremely excited to get things started in Aggieland, and I am humbled by this incredible opportunity," Schlossnagle said. "With the resources and facilities available at this world-class university, the foundation is here to win championships and make the 12th Man a regular visitor to Omaha."   

Schlossnagle earned national recognition for his efforts, being named National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2010 and Baseball America in 2016. He also served a stint as the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team head coach in 2013 and served as a Team USA assistant coach in 2016.   

Over his 20 seasons, Schlossnagle has amassed an 811-393 (.674) mark. He leaves Fort Worth as TCU's all-time winningest coach with a 734-346 (.680) record.   Prior to his arrival at TCU, the Horned Frogs made just two NCAA Tournament appearances. He responded by guiding the team to 15 tournaments, including nine consecutive from 2004-12. The success included seven NCAA regional titles, all coming since 2009.   

Schlossnagle navigated TCU to success in three different conferences, claiming 21 total titles between the Big 12, Mountain West and Conference USA. The Horned Frogs claimed doubles in their last two seasons in Conference USA, winning the regular-season and conference titles in 2004 and '05. They proceeded to earn doubles in each of their first three seasons in the Mountain West. They left the Mountain West after the 2012 season with four tournament trophies and seven regular-season titles. Since 2013, TCU earned three Big 12 regular-season crowns ('15, '17, '21) and three tournament titles ('14, '16, '21).   

He has been recognized as a conference coach of the year on eight occasions, earning Mountain West honors in 2003 and '06-11, and Big 12 recognition in 2015.   

TCU players enjoyed MLB success during the Schlossnagle era, including a school-record nine players drafted in 2019, highlighted by Nick Lodolo picked by the Cincinnati Reds with the No. 7 pick, the highest in school annals. Sixteen players mentored by Schlossnagle have appeared in the Major Leagues since 2008, including 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and three-time MLB All-Star Matt Carpenter.   Schlossnagle started his head coaching career with two years as skipper at UNLV. During his stint, the Rebels were 77-47 (.621) in 2002-03.  

Before life as a head coach, Schlossnagle spent eight years as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Tulane. He was an integral part of the Green Wave's success, helping Tulane to six NCAA Regional appearances during his tenure. Schlossnagle served as the Green Wave recruiting coordinator for his last five years with the program and garnered three nationally ranked recruiting classes, which helped produce two 48-win seasons and a No. 1 NCAA Regional seed.  

Schlossnagle served as the pitching coach at Clemson in 1993. The Tigers finished that campaign with a 45-20 record, an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a third-place finish in the NCAA Midwest Regional. Seven members of the `93 Clemson pitching staff were drafted.  

After graduation, Schlossnagle spent three seasons as an assistant at Elon (N.C.) College where he helped lead his alma mater to a 99-41 mark, picking up two South Atlantic Conference championships, one District 26 title and one regional appearance.   

Schlossnagle was a pitcher on the 1989 Elon squad that finished 39-7 and appeared in the NAIA World Series. He graduated magna cum laude from Elon with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1992 and earned a master's of education in human performance and health promotion from the University of New Orleans in 1995.  

A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Schlossnagle has a son, Jackson Lambert, and a daughter, Kathleen Grace.