There are probably not as many figures in college sports as polarizing as Texas baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
It was one of the biggest stories that gripped college athletics. Just a day after Texas A&M lost the College World Series, then-head coach Jim Schlossnagle announced his move to Texas.
The Daily Texan interviewed Ian Curtis, the former sports reporter and current managing editor of the Battalion, Texas A&M’s student newspaper.
Curtis remembers the infamous press conference when Schlossnagle had a stiff reaction when TexAgs reporter Richard Zane questioned him about the job opening in Austin.
“My initial reaction to the question was kind of ‘Okay, what’s going on here?’” Curtis said. “It seemed a little odd that sort of outlet would be asking something like that, and it also seemed odd just how strong the response was.”
Schlossnagle took that job, forever etching himself into Texas lore, furthering the already giant age-old fight between Aggies and Longhorns.
“People will never be able to think about Texas and Texas A&M baseball without thinking of Jim Schlossnagle,” Curtis said. “The change he made will just never go away based on the success he’s had at A&M and is having at Texas, because he’s a dang good coach.”
The Aggies have had a historical fall from grace, finding themselves unranked after starting out the year No. 1, despite bringing back many valuable pieces from their 2024 College World Series appearance team.
With tough losses, including a rough showing in the Astros Foundation College Classic, Texas A&M was in dire straits. The Aggies did not fare any better in SEC play, getting swept by Vanderbilt and Alabama to open conference play.
Heading into a College World Series rematch against No. 1 Tennessee, Texas A&M eked out just a single conference win. It all culminated in a no-hit, run-rule loss to the Volunteers to open the series.
“Based on how last year ended and based on how this year began, it crushed an A&M fan base who cares deeply about baseball,” Curtis said. “You have an A&M fan base that’s so passionate, it crushed a lot of people and pissed off a lot of people.”
Something happened that night for Texas A&M. Whatever it was, it has worked to salvage their season. Dominating the Volunteers in their final two games, taking the series, the Aggies have been on a tirade, going 10–1 in their last 11 games and collecting series wins over No. 2 Arkansas and South Carolina.
“I don’t think you can bring it down to one thing, when you had so many changes people didn’t notice at first, with all of the new players coming in, players getting hurt, new coaching staff,” Curtis said. “This team (has been) always capable of doing this. It just took time to get going. So I think now you’re starting to see that.”
Outside of the Aggies searching for revenge over their former head coach, Texas A&M needs a series victory over the Longhorns to preserve its postseason chances.
“A&M dug themselves in early in this year,” Curtis said. “It’s less about how we get back in the rankings (and) here’s how we get back in the Top 10. It’s how we stay alive. They need to ride the momentum while they have it, because you can’t drop stupid games and you can’t drop silly games at this point.”
