Setting rivalries aside: LSU’s Jay Johnson reportedly hires pitching coach from Arizona State
By Adam Spencer
Published:
For the past 6 seasons, Jay Johnson has been the head coach of Arizona’s baseball team, leading the Wildcats to the College World Series this past season.
After the Wildcats’ campaign concluded, Johnson was hired by LSU to replace the legendary Paul Mainieri, who retired after the Tigers were sent home.
Now, it seems Johnson has found his new pitching coach, and LSU’s newest assistant comes from an interesting place. Per a report from college baseball insider Kendall Rogers, Johnson is expected to hire Jason Kelly as his new pitching coach.
Johnson spent the last 3 years at Arizona State, which is obviously Arizona’s biggest rival:
SOURCES: @LSUbaseball will hire Jason Kelly as its pitching coach, sources tell @d1baseball. Kelly, the 2018 @d1baseball Assistant of the Year, spent the last three seasons at Arizona State. #GeauxTigers
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 6, 2021
Still, when a chance to coach at one of the premier programs in the nation opens up, you set rivalries aside and hire the best people for the job.
Surely, Johnson and Kelly will tease each other about their previous schools, but for now, they’ll both be laser-focused on keeping LSU among the ranks of the nation’s elite.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
