Jim Schlossnagle delivers feisty response to question regarding his future at Texas A&M
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Jim Schlossnagle was on the wrong side of heartbreak Monday night. Texas A&M entered the evening looking for its first national championship in baseball but came away on the wrong side of a thriller vs. Tennessee.
With the College World Series Finals locked at a game apiece, the Aggies and Vols faced off for a decisive Game 3 in Omaha. Tennessee would build a 6-1 lead in the 7th before Texas A&M closed the gap all the way to 6-5 in the top of the 9th. The Aggies would ultimately be unable to tie things up as the Vols completed their first national championship in program history under Tony Vitello.
As soon as the game ended (and honestly even before that), Schlossnagle’s future plans became a topic of discussion. In just his 3rd season with the Aggies, Schlossnagle has led the program to 2 College World Series appearances and the 1st-ever CWS Finals appearance for the program.
However, the recent job opening at Texas — where the Longhorns have not made it back to the CWS Finals since 2009 — has included rumors of Schlossnagle being the top target for A&M’s in-state rival. The last question of Schlossnagle’s postgame press conference referenced rumors of “a specific job opening” while asking about his future in Aggieland, and it’s safe to say the head coach did not appreciate it.
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Here’s what he had to say in response with video of the exchange following the comments:
“I think it’s pretty selfish of you you to ask me that question, to be honest with you. But I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M,” said Schlossnagle. “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. That would be like you asking (Braden) Montgomery if he’s going to sign in the draft. But I understand you’ve got to ask the question. But I gave up a big part of my life to come take this job. And I poured every ounce of my soul in this job and I gave this job every ounce I could possibly give it. Write that.”
After Tennessee’s 6-5 CWS-clinching win over Texas A&M, @AggieBaseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle was asked about a “specific job opening” and his future with the Aggies:
: NCAA pic.twitter.com/dhKfIXddHo
— Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) June 25, 2024
Even before that final question, Schlossnagle had spoken glowingly about being at A&M. He capped his opening comments by saying he is “honored to be at Texas A&M and honored to be part of the 12th Man. Special, special experience every year.”
Schlossnagle also praised Aggie fans for being “locked in” throughout the postseason and especially in Omaha during the CWS. He also admitted he is not surprised by the amount of success for A&M so early in his tenure “because I think A&M is an awesome place” and one that should regularly be competing in the SEC and the opportunity to host a regional.
At the end of the day, Schlossnagle’s comments about his future and love for A&M are not going to quiet any rumors until there is some clarity, either in the form of a contract extension with the Aggies or a new coach being hired at Texas. But he has delivered a swift turnaround for the program, and A&M has a solid foundation for the future.
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Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
