COLUMBIA, S.C. — WVU Potomac State College alum Kevin Schnall was named the head coach of the University of South Carolina baseball program on Wednesday.
Schnall spent 21 years across two stints at his alma mater, Coastal Carolina.
He spent the last two seasons as the head coach of the Chanticleers, leading Coastal to a 56-13 record and 26-4 mark in the Sun Belt Conference in 2025.
“Today is a humbling and exciting day for my family and me,” Schnall said in a press release. “To leave the place that has been home for 25 years, it had to be the perfect opportunity at the perfect time. That is exactly what the University of South Carolina represents.”
Schnall’s squad broke the program’s single-season wins record and swept the Sun Belt regular season and tournament titles.
He became the fourth head coach to lead a team to the College World Series in his first year as head coach, joining Dan McDonnell at Louisville (2007), Mike Martin at Florida State (1980), and Cliff Gustafson at Texas (1968).
He is the only coach to win his College World Series debut.
“The passion, vision and energy he brings will elevate our program and put us in position to be successful at the highest level,” South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati said. “We are looking forward to this new era of Gamecock baseball and we know our fans will be excited by the brand of baseball his teams play, fundamentally sound, relentlessly competitive, and with great energy and enthusiasm.”
Schnall played two seasons at Potomac State from 1996-97, earning two All-Region 20 selections.
As a sophomore in 1997, he finished with a .420 batting average and drove in 56 RBIs.
Schnall was inducted into Potomac State’s athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
He played his final two collegiate seasons at Coastal, earning the Big South Conference Player of the Year in 1999 and was inducted into the Coastal Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Schnall was the first Chanticleer to earn All-American honors, earning a second-team selection in 1999.
He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1999 draft and spent two seasons in the minor leagues.
Schnall began his coaching career at Coastal from 2001-2012, then spent three seasons at the University of Central Florida.
He returned to Coastal in 2016 as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, leading to the 2016 College World Series championship.
“This program embodies everything that is great about college baseball with a championship tradition, a passionate fan base, and a commitment to excellence,” Schnall said. “I am grateful for the trust placed in us, and we promise to build a program founded on development, accountability, and an unwavering pursuit of championships. We are excited to get to Columbia and begin this next chapter together.”