Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com is reporting Thursday through sources that LSU has hired Arizona’s Jay Johnson as its head coach.
🚨BREAKING: @LSUbaseball has hired @ArizonaBaseball’s Jay Johnson as its next head coach, sources told @d1baseball. Johnson led #Arizona to two @NCAACWS appearance in six seasons with the program. #LSU #GeauxTigers https://t.co/MSW3nQZ2jN pic.twitter.com/WKg0xqJuLS
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 24, 2021
“Sources close to the situation tell me that Arizona and Dave Heeke made a VERY strong commitment and push to keep Jay Johnson in Tucson, but LSU is LSU. Heeke will hire a very strong successor with his commitment to college baseball,” Rogers also tweeted.
New football coach, new basketball coach, new softball coach, new baseball coach all in the same year at Arizona https://t.co/2i9FyDsiUz
— Matt Moreno (@MattGOAZCATS) June 24, 2021
LSU reportedly offered Johnson a base contract of $1.5 million contract. His base salary at Arizona is close to $550,000.
Johnson, 44, went 208-114 with two College World Series appearances in six years. Arizona team finished 45-18 this season and won the Pac-12 title, the program’s first outright conference title since 1992.
Arizona played in Omaha in Johnson’s first season in 2016, when the Wildcats lost in the championship series in three games against Coastal Carolina.
LSU had a vacancy when Paul Mainieri retired after 15 seasons with the Tigers. He made five trips to the College World Series and won the championship in 2009.
Nate Yeskie, Arizona’s high-profile pitching coach the last two seasons, reportedly is a candidate to become Texas A&M’s pitching coach.
The new coach will have two of the best freshmen in college baseball — catcher Daniel Susac and designated hitter Jacob Berry — if they return.
Johnson is the first Arizona baseball coach to leave for another coaching job.
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