Why Monte Lee said he should be South Carolina baseball coach as season ends
South Carolina interim baseball coach Monte Lee made his pitch to be hired as the Gamecocks' permanent coach after an SEC Tournament loss.
HOOVER, AL — South Carolina baseball is on the verge of change. Interim coach Monte Lee wants to be the permanent choice to bring it in. The No.
15 seed Gamecocks lost 11-6 to No. 10 Tennessee in the first round of the SEC Tournament at the Hoover Met on May 19. South Carolina (22-35) is eliminated with the loss, ending the Gamecocks' season.
It marked the 13th consecutive loss for the Gamecocks, and South Carolina will miss the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Gamecocks have made a super regional only once since 2018. South Carolina has been led by Lee, who took over after the school announced March 21 that Paul Mainieri would not finish his second season.
Jeremiah Donati became athletic director in early 2025 and is expected to open a national coaching search. Lee was asked after the season ended to make his pitch to be the hire. "It gets a little bit hard to talk about yourself constantly," said Lee, a former Clemson coach.