When the rumors of Jim Schlossnagle moving to Texas started, the Aggies were on the brink of winning a national championship. The mood at Texas A&M was of disbelief — there was no way its head coach would make a move to their greatest rivals.
In 24 hours, Schlossnagle went from the most loved to the most hated man in College Station.
Schlossnagle didn’t move to Austin by himself. He’s bringing former assistant coach Nolan Cain and pitching coach Max Weiner, along with multiple Texas A&M baseball commits flipping to Texas.
The Daily Texan talked to sports editor and former baseball beat reporter Luke White from The Battalion to hear what to expect from Schlossnagle in Austin and what he can expect when playing his former team again in 2025.
The Daily Texan: Schlossnagle’s move to Austin is happening right in Texas’ first season at the SEC, which means we can expect a conference series between the two teams. We still don’t know whether the series will be played in Austin or College Station, but what can Schlossnagle expect from the Aggie fans when this matchup happens?
Luke White: It’s going to be a wild experience … It’s hard to ask for a lot out of the fanbase and expect them to be cool with their head coach leaving for the biggest rival, so I think it’s going to be an intense, wild atmosphere when he returns to College Station, whichever season that may be. I think the fans are really gonna let him have it and they’re gonna let him know just how they feel about him going to Texas.
DT: After working directly with Texas A&M baseball, what can you tell us about Schlossnagle as a coach and a person?
LW: Schlossnagle is definitely a guy who knows how to get the best out of his players. He knows how to recruit talent and build up a strong, talented baseball team and he knows how to win. … As a person, he’ll definitely tell you how it is. I think he’s not afraid to be frankly honest with folks, even if the truth hurts in some situations. But regardless of how he is in that way, he knows how to coach and create a winning ball team. … With the resources at Texas and the talent there, … I think he could build some really good teams.
DT: What about Cain and Weiner? What impact can we expect of them and what is the feeling of having Earley back as the new head coach after temporarily being at Texas?
LW: What made (A&M) so good was their crew of assistant coaches, they were all head coaches. … I think Nolan Cain and Max Weiner are future head coaches waiting to happen. Nolan Cain has been described as one of the best recruiters in college baseball, … the players love him. … With Max Weiner, the turnaround he made of A&M’s pitching staff this past season just can’t be understated. It went from being A&M’s biggest weakness in 2023 to arguably its biggest strength in 2024.
