After 39 seasons, the last 15 with LSU baseball, Paul Mainieri announced Friday he would retire from coaching at the end of the 2021 season.
"I have been the luckiest guy in the world to have lived out a childhood dream of becoming a college baseball coach," Mainieri said. "I've worked at four wonderful institutions, and it's been the honor of my life to have served as the head coach at LSU for 15 years. To have carried the torch of a program built by Skip Bertman, the greatest college baseball coach of all time, has been a tremendous privilege. It has always been my unwavering goal to sustain the excellence that was created here.
"I've been blessed throughout my career to coach unbelievable young men of great character and skill, and to have worked with talented and dedicated assistant coaches, support staff and administrators. It's very difficult to leave a profession that I truly love, but I'm so grateful for the amazing opportunities that have been presented to me through the years," he added.
Mainieri has a career record of 1501 wins, 774 losses and eight ties. At LSU, he went 637-282-3.
During his time in Baton Rouge, Mainieri led the Tigers to four conference championships, won the SEC Baseball tournament six times and appeared in the College World Series five times, winning it all in 2009.
"Paul Mainieri has made an immeasurable impact not only at LSU, but across college baseball," said director of athletics Scott Woodward. "Every day he has taken the field, he has honored the game he loves with his class, his character, and his commitment to excellence. We are forever grateful for the championships he has won, the student athletes he has inspired, and memories he has gifted our fans over 15 seasons."
LSU was eliminated from the 2021 SEC Baseball tournament Tuesday by Georgia. The Tigers now wait to see if they are selected into the field of 64 for the 2021 NCAA baseball tournament.