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3 finalists revealed for LSU baseball coach

By Ethan Lee

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: Head coach Paul Mainieri (R) of the LSU Tigers argues an interference call with an umpire against the Florida Gators in the eighth inning during game two of the College World Series Championship Series on June 27, 2017 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: Head coach Paul Mainieri (R) of the LSU Tigers argues an interference call with an umpire against the Florida Gators in the eighth inning during game two of the College World Series Championship Series on June 27, 2017 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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It looks like the LSU Tigers are working on wrapping up their search for Paul Mainieri’s successor.

LSU’s search to replace Paul Mainieri has been full of big names, speculation, and rumors, but it appears as if the Tigers have found their finalists to be the next head coach of the LSU baseball team.

The job became available as Mainieri retired following LSU’s elimination from the 2021 NCAA Baseball Tournament in the Knoxville Super Regional. Mainieri retired after coaching the Tigers for 15 seasons.

According to a report from The Advertiser’s Glenn Guilbeau, the finalists for the head coaching job are Arizona’s Jay Johnson, East Carolina’s Cliff Godwin, and Notre Dame’s Link Jarrett. In his report, Guilbeau notes that LSU has yet to officially release details about the search and that multiple sources provided him with this information.

All three candidates for the position would be great options to lead the LSU baseball program

Each of the candidates have seen quite a bit of success with their current teams.

As it turns out, all three teams had very respectable postseason runs this year as Arizona is fresh off a run to Omaha and the College World Series, Notre Dame made it to the Starkville Super Regional, and East Carolina made it to the Nashville Super Regional.

Johnson has been instrumental in leading the Wildcats to plenty of wins during his time in Tucson. In his first season with Arizona, Johnson and the Wildcats were the 2016 College World Series runner-up. Arizona has a 208-114 record under Johnson’s leadership.

Jarrett is in just his first full season of leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was hired prior to the 2020 season, but that year was cut short because of COVID-19. During his time at Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish have gone 45-15 and made a Super Regional. Prior to his time in South Bend, Jarrett turned the UNC Greensboro Spartans into a respectable program.

Godwin has helped the East Carolina Pirates become a very consistent and successful team. In six full seasons at ECU, Godwin has guided the Pirates to three Super Regionals and a couple of regionals. Only once has a Godwin-coached ECU team missed the NCAA Tournament. From 2015 through 2021, Godwin and the Pirates have a 258-130-1 record.

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