Every college baseball head coach went a different path to becoming the head of a program.
Just this summer, several established assistant coaches have parlayed impressive stints into head coaching jobs. For instance, long-time Louisville assistant coach Chris Lemonis is the new head coach at Indiana University, while ultra-aggressive Ole Miss assistant Cliff Godwin parlayed a trip to the College World Series into a return to East Carolina, his alma mater, as head coach.
Many programs around the country will be searching for new head coaches next summer, and based on what they've accomplished in the past and present, there are several assistants to watch moving forward.
Here's my annual list of assistants most ready to take over a program.
Travis Jewett, Vanderbilt
Head coach Tim Corbin and Vanderbilt have always shown a strong commitment to their program, in both facilities and other program-related amenities, and in the hiring of new assistant coaches. So, when the Commodores went to replace former assistant coach Josh Holliday, who now is the head coach at Oklahoma State, they looked to Jewett, who had established a strong reputation at Arizona State and other stops along the way. Jewett is a hard-nosed coach who serves as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for the Commodores. His experience spans across the country, spending three seasons at Arizona State, five seasons at Washington State, and before that, three seasons at Washington as an assistant coach. I would fully expect Jewett to be a hot name during next summer's college coaching carousel.
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