It's now been a full week since Greg Lovelady was dismissed as head baseball coach.
Nothing was ever going to be immediate in terms of a hire. This past week had Monday being Memorial Day and then Terry Mohajir was occupied with Big 12 meetings in West Virginia during the middle part of the week.
That being said, over the past week, the early candidates list was being evaluated with the help of the search firm. I'm told the first formal contact with candidates began Friday virtually.
I believe at least five candidates have been contacted by UCF for this first stage, though that's a ballpark. It could be higher.
Candidates I've heard are still in the prominent mix:
Rich Wallace - FSU assistant coach
Chuck Jeroloman - Florida assistant coach
Nick Schnabel - Clemson assistant coach
As I've stated, Rich Wallace, a UCF alum and Orlando native, has considerable alumni/donor support.
There are apparently some head coaches that remain in play. My best guess on who two of them might be:
Justin Haire - Campbell head coach
Steve Owens - Rutgers head coach
Owens was a top candidate in 2016. Haire had been linked to the UGA job, though there are rumors UGA may be closing in on the LSU pitching coach, Wes Johnson. I have reason to believe both Haire and Owens have strong interest in UCF.
Other candidates that have been shared with me by those in the coaching profession:
Josh Elander - Tennessee assistant coach
Jake Gautreau - Mississippi State assistant coach
Monte Lee - South Carolina assistant coach and former Clemson head coach
Steve Rodriguez - Texas assistant coach and former Baylor/Pepperdine head coach
The MLB names:
Joe Girardi - Former MLB manager
Andy Barkett - Chicago White Sox
David Eckstein / Rick Eckstein - Former MLB player; MLB hitting coach
The MLB names appear to be a longshot, but don't rule anything out. The Ecksteins are Sanford natives who played at the University of Florida. David played in MLB for 10 years and was a two-time all-star and World Series MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rick is a former MLB hitting coach with the Nationals, Angels and Pirates. David Eckstein and his wife live in Golden Oak, the same Disney luxury community where the Tuohys have a home.
There are likely other names in the mix. Most of this "rumor mill" information is coming from other college coaches and it's hard to decipher what's legitimate in terms of reciprocal interest. Every assistant and head coach with a desire to move up wants this job. I'm doing my best to try and filter the information.
Time frame? I think latter part of this upcoming week would be the earliest and could potentially go into the following week. It may depend on whether top targets are still playing and whether UCF decides to hold in-person interviews.
Nothing was ever going to be immediate in terms of a hire. This past week had Monday being Memorial Day and then Terry Mohajir was occupied with Big 12 meetings in West Virginia during the middle part of the week.
That being said, over the past week, the early candidates list was being evaluated with the help of the search firm. I'm told the first formal contact with candidates began Friday virtually.
I believe at least five candidates have been contacted by UCF for this first stage, though that's a ballpark. It could be higher.
Candidates I've heard are still in the prominent mix:
Rich Wallace - FSU assistant coach
Chuck Jeroloman - Florida assistant coach
Nick Schnabel - Clemson assistant coach
As I've stated, Rich Wallace, a UCF alum and Orlando native, has considerable alumni/donor support.
There are apparently some head coaches that remain in play. My best guess on who two of them might be:
Justin Haire - Campbell head coach
Steve Owens - Rutgers head coach
Owens was a top candidate in 2016. Haire had been linked to the UGA job, though there are rumors UGA may be closing in on the LSU pitching coach, Wes Johnson. I have reason to believe both Haire and Owens have strong interest in UCF.
Other candidates that have been shared with me by those in the coaching profession:
Josh Elander - Tennessee assistant coach
Jake Gautreau - Mississippi State assistant coach
Monte Lee - South Carolina assistant coach and former Clemson head coach
Steve Rodriguez - Texas assistant coach and former Baylor/Pepperdine head coach
The MLB names:
Joe Girardi - Former MLB manager
Andy Barkett - Chicago White Sox
David Eckstein / Rick Eckstein - Former MLB player; MLB hitting coach
The MLB names appear to be a longshot, but don't rule anything out. The Ecksteins are Sanford natives who played at the University of Florida. David played in MLB for 10 years and was a two-time all-star and World Series MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rick is a former MLB hitting coach with the Nationals, Angels and Pirates. David Eckstein and his wife live in Golden Oak, the same Disney luxury community where the Tuohys have a home.
There are likely other names in the mix. Most of this "rumor mill" information is coming from other college coaches and it's hard to decipher what's legitimate in terms of reciprocal interest. Every assistant and head coach with a desire to move up wants this job. I'm doing my best to try and filter the information.
Time frame? I think latter part of this upcoming week would be the earliest and could potentially go into the following week. It may depend on whether top targets are still playing and whether UCF decides to hold in-person interviews.
