Tanner Coach Of The Year Again

Columbia, SC (USC SID) — South Carolina head baseball coach Ray Tanner has earned Coach of the Year honors from Baseball America. Tanner just completed his 14th year as head coach at the University of South Carolina leading the Gamecocks to a national championship and a 54-16 overall record. Tanner also recently earned National Coach of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball. On the way to the title at the College World Series, the Gamecocks became the first team ever to win six consecutive games in Omaha on the way to a national title, the first men’s national championship at the University of South Carolina. This past season’s trip was the fourth to the College World Series for Coach Tanner along with three consecutive trips from 2002-2004. This is the second time that Tanner has earned the award from Baseball America. He also earned the distinction after the 2000 season. He joins Augie Garrido, Gene Stephenson, Skip Bertman and Dave Snow as two-time winners.

Under Tanner’s leadership, South Carolina owns the longest current streak of NCAA Regional appearances among the 12 SEC schools with 11 straight trips to the tournament dating back to the 2000 season. In that span, Carolina has eight NCAA Super Regional appearances (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010). South Carolina is one of only six schools in the nation to make at least eight NCAA Super Regionals in the last 11 years and one of only eight schools in the country to have reached the NCAA Regionals every season from 2000 to the present. The program’s 11-year total record of 522-217 is the fourth highest win total among NCAA Division I schools. South Carolina has 11 consecutive seasons of 40 or more wins.

The Gamecocks have also collected championships in the Southeastern Conference with regular season titles in 2000 and 2002 along with a SEC Tournament crown in 2004. Tanner’s last 11 teams have featured 20 All-America performers including senior right-handed pitcher Blake Cooper.