Paul Mainieri buyout details revealed upon South Carolina coaching change
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The South Carolina Gamecocks and Paul Mainieri took a chance on one another when Mainieri became their baseball coach in 2024. 80 games later, it’s safe to say things didn’t work out.
South Carolina and Mainieri parted ways on Saturday morning. The Gamecocks had the 2009 College World Series champion inked through the 2029 season, leading many to wonder how his buyout could be processed. According to The State’s Jordan Kaye, it’s entirely dependent on how Mainieri’s departure is classified.
If Mainieri was fired without cause, he would be owed the entirety of what’s remaining on his contract, which… would be around $4.15 million,” Kaye writes. “Per his contract, if Mainieri chose to step down by his own volition, he would owe the university the entirety of what’s remaining on his contract — or around $4.15 million.
“Given the wording of the announcement, it would be reasonable to assume that the two parties will — if they haven’t already — negotiate a settlement that allows them to amicably go their separate ways,” Kaye continued. “University leaders are not expected to discuss Mainieri’s buyout terms, at least not any time soon.
South Carolina set a record for SEC losses (24) and overall losses (28) last year. The Gamecocks are just 12-11 so far this season, with losses to multiple lower-level programs, including Northern Kentucky and Queens. They were thumped 22-7 by Arkansas on Friday in what serves as the last game of Mainieri’s tenure.
