Texas A&M lost the College World Series final to Tennessee on Monday night, ending a season in which the Aggies posted their second-best record in school history. After the defeat, manager Jim Schlossnagle, who went 135-62 in three seasons with the Aggies, was asked about rumors that he might be leaving the team to take over coaching duties at the University of Texas. Schlossnagle threw a fit about being asked such a question, and angrily reminded everyone that he "took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again." The next day, he took the job at Texas.
"I think it's pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with you," Schlossnagle said to Richard Zane, the TexAgs reporter who asked the question. "I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn't changed in my mind. That's unfair, to talk about something like that ... I understand you gotta ask the question, but I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job, and I've poured every ounce of my soul in this job. And I've given this job every single ounce I could possibly give it. So write that."
Hopefully Zane and the other reporters in the room did not write that, because on Tuesday, Texas triumphantly announced Schlossnagle as the school's new baseball coach.
Schlossnagle's tantrum didn't end when the press conference did. According to Carter Karels of 247 Sports, the Aggies coach confronted Zane after the cameras were off and "emphatically told Zane to never speak to him again." Karels also reported that some of Schlossnagle's players and recruits only learned he was leaving from social media posts.
This is not new behavior from Schlossnagle. In 2021, when he was still the coach of TCU's baseball team, the rumors were that he was interested in leaving for Texas A&M. “I have no interest in any other job,” he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. About two weeks later, Schlossnagle was named as the Aggies' new coach. The only difference here is that he was more efficient in his timeline.
It's tough to stand out as a college coach who's an asshole, given the crowded field. That goes double for baseball coaches, whose sport is not as popular as college basketball and football, forcing them to work twice as hard at being thin-skinned and agitated in order to garner national notice. Schlossnagle has charted a course for other coaches who would like more attention: Just repeatedly lie and act aggrieved, and people will start to remember your name.
