When the Texas baseball program officially moves to the Southeastern Conference on July 1, Longhorns head coach David Pierce won’t be coming.
Pierce was fired Monday, ending his eight-year tenure in Texas. His firing came weeks after a disappointing season ended with a 10-2 loss to Louisiana in the College Station Regional of the NCAA Tournament. In statements released by the school, Pierce and UT athletic director Chris Del Conte described the firing as a mutual decision.
“CDC and I met after the season and agreed that the best thing for the program was to go in a different direction,” Pierce said. “It has been an honor and privilege to lead this program over the past eight years. It is certainly a time I will always cherish as a coach, and I am extremely appreciative of the University of Texas for this opportunity. “
Del Conte said, “After the season, Coach Pierce and I had time to talk about the year, the future of our program, where we are and where we are going. It was a tough decision for both of us, but we mutually agreed that we should make a change. I am very grateful for Coach Pierce and everything he has brought to our baseball program over the last eight years.
A look back at David Pierce’s tenure
Pierce, 61, signed a contract extension in 2021 and had two years remaining on a contract that paid him an annual salary of $1.2 million. Under the terms of his contract, Texas owes Pierce 70 percent of his remaining base salary if he were fired without cause, but decision-makers always felt it was the right time to make a change.
Pierce, who was hired at Tulane in June 2016 to replace Augie Garrido, went 295-162 at Texas. He led the Longhorns to Big 12 championships in 2018, 2021 and 2023 and the College World Series in 2018, 2021 and 2022. The Longhorns came closest to winning a national championship with Pierce in 2021, when they finished at tie for third place. at the CWS, but were bounced from Omaha by eventual champion Mississippi State.
Pierce’s career record is 494-271 in 13 years, leading Texas, Tulane and Sam Houston State. He has coached teams to 11 NCAA playoff appearances and won a national championship as a member of Rice’s coaching staff in 2003.
Texas pitcher: This season “has been hectic at times”
Pierce’s Texas teams hosted three NCAA Regional Championships and went 25-14 in six trips to the NCAA Tournament. His final season, however, was marked by personnel conflicts and a disappointing performance on the field.
Last summer, Pierce fired Woody Williams and introduced himself as UT’s third pitching coach in as many years. He has always been involved in manipulating pitchers, but Texas’ team ERA rose this season from 4.18 to 4.91 — its worst mark since 1999 — as the Longhorns struggled with injuries, establishing depth and regression of team ace Lebarron Johnson Jr. UT assistant. Coach Philip Miller, Pierce’s longtime lieutenant, also took an unexplained leave of absence in March and never returned.
On the field, the Longhorns went 36-24 and finished third in the Big 12. Texas lost both of its games at the Big 12 tournament and then failed to qualify for a super regional for the first time. times since completely missing the NCAA tournament in 2019.
“(This season) has been rocky at times,” junior pitcher Ace Whitehead said after the season-ending loss to Louisiana. “We’ve definitely had our share of adversity throughout the year, but there hasn’t been a single time where we’ve backed down from anything. Guys, tough as nails. There’s a lot to say, but I’m just proud of the guys and proud of the coaches.”
Minutes after the season ended, Pierce was asked if he planned to return for the Longhorns’ 2025 campaign and SEC debut. He said the decision wasn’t his to make, but he said “as long as the University of Texas gives me the opportunity, they’ll get everything I have.”
“We’re judged 100 percent on a win and a loss, but you have to understand the ingredients of this team and the ingredients of this program to understand how good it is. It comes from our support team through our players.” ,” Pierce added. “Whether I’ll come back? It’s not in my hands. I know how well our team plays and I know how well our staff worked. I’ve been doing this for a long time and we’ve had a lot of success. “.
Now what? Texas begins search for new coach
Although Texas had a relatively successful run during his eight years, the Pierce era failed to live up to the high and almost unrealistic standards set by the coach’s predecessors. William Disch, Bibb Falk, Cliff Gustafson and Garrido led Texas from 1911 to 2016, except for a three-year period when Falk served in the Army. Each coached the Longhorns for at least 19 years. Falk, Gustafson and Garrido each won two national titles in Austin, and busts of the four coaches were erected outside the Longhorns’ baseball stadium, UFCU Disch-Falk Field, which is named for Disch and Falk .
Now, a new coach will attempt to emulate that success while leading UT to the SEC, which is widely considered the best conference in college baseball. Five of the last six national champions have come from the SEC, and either Texas A&M or Tennessee will win the title this year. When it comes to average attendance, seven of the top eight nationally were SEC schools and the fifth-ranked draw in college baseball was the Longhorns to the SEC.
Since Del Conte became athletic director in December 2017, Texas hasn’t shied away from chasing big game when it comes to hiring coaches. Former men’s basketball coach Chris Beard (Texas Tech) and current women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer (Mississippi State), softball coach Mike White (Oregon) and track and field coach Edrick Floréal (Kentucky) were established winners elsewhere before being hired by Texas. Bob Bowman recently left Arizona State after winning a national championship to become UT’s director of swimming and diving. And the school’s new women’s golf coach, Laura Ianello, won an NCAA title in 2018 in Arizona.