Ray Tanner stepping down.

[JohnC1908]

Apparently he'll become the South Carolina AD.

http://www.wistv.com/story/19008986/ray-tanner-expected-to-be-named-new-athletics-director

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Sources close to South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner have confirmed that he will step down to accept the vacant athletics director position with an official announcement expected soon.


Tanner, whose success has lead the Gamecocks to two national championships and three straight appearances in the College World Series finals, will resign from his position as the baseball coach to accept the vacant AD position.

[G8RNTN]

Big blow for them!!

[IowaGator]

WOW!!!!!

Sent from my SCH-R930 4g using Gator Country

[TJtheGator]

Hope this opens the door for UF to dominate the East. We just couldn't beat SC when it really counted.

[Gatorgal04]

Pretend this is football or basketball and ask:

Wonder if they have any recruits/signees we can poach?

[fubar1]

Tanner was a legend in the making in college baseball. He had talented players for sure, but he got every ounce of effort from them all.

[DoubleDown11]

Chad Holbrook is taking over. He has been the top lieutenant for a few years and has recruited and coached all of the players currently involved with the program. He would've been in line for a top job somewhere else had Tanner not stepped aside. Obviously losing one of the best coaches in the country is going to have some effect, but don't expect the South Carolina program to go away any time soon.

[orlgator]

Wow. Kind of shocked. He got everything out of his players that is for sure. Great skipper.

[ExportGator]

More time to tend to his vineyard?

[74nole]

I'd say besides the raise, more time with his family for sure. As we all know recruiting is 24/7 and a 365 non-stop job.

[born2beagator]

Whoa.

[MatsideObserver]

Don't expect any significant drop off. They have their "Sully" on staff already.

They already have the replacement in place and he is the guy doing the recruiting. (He was also the recruiting coordinator at UNC when they were in the title games at CWS).

[fubar1]

Master of the obvious here, but recruiting and coaching are two different animals.

Tanner was the face of the program and a great coach. Unless they produce a miracle, it'll be a step down.

[gtr2x]

Not often you hear of a baseball coach getting bumped up to AD. Good for him...more money, probably less stress. He will be a tough act to follow no matter who the new guy is.

[Jackson]

Doubt he's as good a coach.

[ApexNC]

Good for him. Seems to be one of the good guys. Wonder how he and Spurrier get along.

[gatorbogey]

wow and whoa!

i would imagine they have full confidence in the replacement. good for him. he did a marvelous job there for the gamecocks. we're hoping sully can emulate his success in the coming years.

[col_kurtz]

Not often you hear of a baseball coach getting bumped up to AD. Good for him...more money, probably less stress. He will be a tough act to follow no matter who the new guy is.

Skip Bertman at LSU and he was damn good AD

[UberTiger]

Don't expect any significant drop off. They have their "Sully" on staff already.

They already have the replacement in place and he is the guy doing the recruiting. (He was also the recruiting coordinator at UNC when they were in the title games at CWS).

As we saw when Bertman retired and his hand-picked successor, "Smoke" Laval took over only to be fired a few years later, sometimes these things don't work out quite the way people hope.

[dadx4]

I am shocked by this, I live an hour and a half from Columbia....I thought he would coach there forever. I had hoped maybe my kid could play baseball there.