Clemson announces firing of baseball coach Monte Lee

Monte Lee's last game as Clemson's coach was an 18-6 loss to 1-seed Virginia Tech last Thursday.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Tue May 31 15:27:07 GMT-04:00 2022

Clemson athletics director Graham Neff announced the firing of baseball coach Monte Lee on Tuesday.

"Monte and his staff have been nothing but professional in their approach to Clemson Baseball, and we appreciate the manner in which they’ve represented Clemson University,” said Neff. “The expectations for Clemson Baseball are very high, and the team’s recent on-field performance has not met those of our administration, our coaching staff, our student-athletes or our loyal fanbase.

"Clemson Baseball is a proud program, and we, as a department, are committed to doing all we can to return our program to national prominence. We will work with our student-athletes to ensure that the transition process is successful."

The first coaching change since Neff’s tenure as Clemson's athletic director started in December comes on the heels of Tigers baseball missing the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time in the 64-team era (1999-on) and overall since a stretch from 1982-86. The Clemson news release on Tuesday promised a national search for the next head coach and said that assistant coach Bradley LeCroy and director of operations Brad Owens will oversee the program while the search is conducted.

The program has made 12 total College World Series runs, but over the end of Hall of Fame coach Jack Leggett’s tenure to Lee’s, Clemson has not advanced to a CWS or a Super Regional since 2010.

"From a market and where we intend to go with the search, I consider Clemson baseball a top-15 job. Period," Neff said. "With the tradition, the resources, the facility, the fan base, the talent within this state of South Carolina and region, and I think that's where Clemson baseball should be. And what that means from a competition for postseason -- regional, super regional, Omaha. We've been to 12 College World Series and intend to increase that number. So therefore, yes, the ability to go out and attract that caliber of coach is where we intend to start.

"Certainly have done our due diligence on the market, and I know what that looks like from an investment standpoint for coach and staff and program and intend to win and win big. And prepared to invest and invest big when it comes to attracting a coach to restore and meet those expectations that we have for Clemson baseball."

Over six full seasons, the high points of Lee’s run came in the first half with an ACC Baseball Championship in 2016 and three regional hosts in a row, including a 47-win campaign and first-place divisional finish in 2018.

The Tigers went 35-26 after being sent to the Oxford Regional at Ole Miss in 2019, started strong in the pandemic-canceled 2020 campaign (14-3) and finished sub-.500 last season for Clemson to miss the postseason for the first time since 2008.

The 2022 Clemson team finished 35-23 after a 14-0 start, going 13-18 in conference matchups. The Tigers did tally 13 top-25 wins and finished with the second-highest RPI to be left out of the NCAA Tournament field (34). Sophomore third baseman Max Wagner led the offense with an ACC Player of the Year campaign, but the pitching staff ranked in the middle of the league in ERA and gave up nine or more runs in seven of the final 15 games.

Lee went 242-136 in Clemson (.640 winning percentage) after going 276-145 (.656) with his alma mater College of Charleston, making four NCAA Tournament appearances in seven seasons there. After 2010, Lee’s Clemson predecessor Leggett went 186-124 (.600) with five NCAA Tournament appearances and one hosting bid.

A total of 32 Tigers have been drafted 35 times under Lee and those selections are 10th most in the nation and third-most in the ACC from 2016-21, according to the Clemson news release.

Lee’s last contract on the books started in October 2017 and was extended to 2024 last February with a buyout in this contract year that is stated to be prorated from $500,000 at the start of the contract year.

"Monte -- the discussions that we had today and as we've worked through the evaluation -- has handled and responded in a first-class manner as we would all expect and know Monte to be," Neff said, "which just makes it tough. For him and his staff and his players and how they've carried themselves and represented Clemson and Clemson baseball -- it's to be commended and it is of the utmost respect that I have, in making decisions like this difficult."

Former Clemson staffers coaching elsewhere who could get a look include Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan, West Virginia’s Randy Mazey and Michigan’s Erik Bakich, among more regional and national candidates.