Chris Lemonis named Coastal Carolina head baseball coach

CONWAY, S.C. – Chris Lemonis has been named the seventh head baseball coach in Coastal Carolina University history, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation Chance Miller announced today.

A Myrtle Beach native, Socastee High School graduate and national championship-winning coach, Lemonis returns home to the Grand Strand after building one of the most accomplished coaching careers in college baseball. Over the course of his coaching career, Lemonis has been part of 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and five College World Series trips. As a head coach, he has guided his programs to six NCAA Tournament appearances, two College World Series appearances and more than 370 victories.

“Chris Lemonis is one of the most respected coaches in college baseball,” said Miller. “He knows what it takes to get to Omaha, and more importantly, he knows what it takes to win there. Chris has proven himself everywhere he has been, and we’re excited to bring a national championship-winning coach home to Conway. Just as importantly, he understands this community because it’s home. He knows what Coastal Carolina Baseball means to our university, our fans and this region. We are excited to welcome Chris, his wife Jill, and their daughters Marissa and Mackenzie to the Chanticleer family.”

Throughout his coaching career, Lemonis has helped develop 111 MLB Draft selections, 22 Major League Baseball players, 38 All-Americans and 19 Freshman All-Americans.

Lemonis owns a career head coaching record of 373-226-2 over 11 seasons at Indiana and Mississippi State. During his seven seasons at Mississippi State, he guided the Bulldogs to the 2021 NCAA National Championship, the first national title in program history. He also led Mississippi State to the 2019 SEC regular-season championship and the 2021 SEC Tournament championship.

Under Lemonis, Mississippi State advanced to two College World Series appearances, two NCAA Super Regional appearances and three NCAA Tournament berths. Following the Bulldogs’ national championship season in 2021, he was named Baseball America National Coach of the Year after leading Mississippi State to a 50-18 record and a 10-3 mark in NCAA Tournament play.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named the head baseball coach at Coastal Carolina University,” said Lemonis. “This opportunity means a great deal to my family and me. Growing up in Myrtle Beach, I have seen firsthand the pride this community has in Coastal Carolina and the tremendous success this baseball program has achieved. With my wife, Jill, being a Coastal Carolina graduate, this university has been part of our family’s story for many years. Coastal has established itself as one of the premier programs in college baseball, and I am excited to build upon that tradition. I cannot wait to get to Conway and get to work competing for championships.”

Prior to Mississippi State, Lemonis spent four seasons as the head coach at Indiana, where he compiled a 141-91-2 record and led the Hoosiers to three NCAA Tournament appearances. He became the first coach in program history to guide Indiana to NCAA Regional appearances in three of his first four seasons and led the Hoosiers to a 40-win campaign in 2018.

Before becoming a head coach, Lemonis spent eight seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville, helping build the Cardinals into one of the nation’s top programs. Louisville advanced to three College World Series appearances during his tenure and was the winningest program in the nation over that eight-year span. Following Louisville’s 2013 trip to Omaha, Lemonis was named the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year.

Lemonis also spent 12 seasons on the coaching staff at The Citadel, where he rose to associate head coach after first starring as a student-athlete for the Bulldogs. As a player, he helped lead The Citadel to the 1990 College World Series and earned All-Southern Conference honors twice during his collegiate career. He was inducted into The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

A graduate of The Citadel, Lemonis earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1992 before receiving his master’s degree in sport management in 1994. He and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Marissa and Mackenzie.