Menu
Since moving on from former Head coach Mike Martin Jr. after the conclusion of the 2022 college baseball season, Florida State and new athletic director Michael Alford, began their search for the next skipper to lead the Seminoles baseball program.
For most of the FSU community one name stood out above the rest. That name was former 2-time All-American FSU shortstop and current Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett.
In fact, a handful of FSU fans gathered on social media to post about watching their potential new head coach and his Irish squad make a run at the college world series. Much to their liking, Jarrett took Notre Dame into one of the toughest environments in college baseball and knocked off top seeded Tennessee earning a trip to Omaha.
Notre Dame beat Texas in their first game before being eliminated from the college world series, and FSU wasted no time locking down their guy. Assuming Link was always the guy from the beginning, it is nice to see things go exactly as planned which is what happened for Seminole Nation with the official announcement of his hiring on Friday.
Of course, there is no guarantee of success during his tenure, but I’m not sure if FSU could have hit a bigger homerun than hiring Link Jarrett. (No pun intended). The Tallahassee native will come home for another stint in Garnet and Gold, this time as 10th head baseball coach in Florida State program history.
The fit is obviously there, but so is the track record of success. During his career at FSU, Jarrett was a 2 time All-American and played in three college world series. He is also a two-time coach of the year and three-time conference coach of the year. During his time at Notre Dame, he led them to their first back-to-back super regional appearances ever as well as their first college world series appearance in two decades.
“It has been an absolute privilege to represent Notre Dame which truly is one of the finest academic and athletic institutions in the country,” said Jarrett. “I want to thank Father Jenkins, Jack Swarbrick, Jody Sadler and the entire Notre Dame administration for all of their support during my time at Notre Dame. I want to thank all of our student-athletes for their tireless work ethic and dedication to our baseball program. Their accomplishments on and off the field are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. To the entire Notre Dame family and community, thank you for welcoming and supporting my family, you are truly first-class in every manner.
“I’m humbled to become the next Head Coach at Florida State. Having the opportunity to come home and lead this storied program is something I take great pride in. FSU is a special place to our family and I’m excited to be the next leader of Seminole Baseball. Our goals will be simple – to achieve on the field, in the classroom and embrace the FSU family and community. I know the expectations from our fans, and we expect to compete for ACC and National Championships.
This was a big get for Michael Alford who has already impressed during his short time as athletic director. Not only was he able lock up Head Softball coach Lonnie Almeida, he also got the SEC women’s soccer coach of the year to take over the vacancy in that program and now has went and hired one of the hottest names in college baseball. Moves like this make you feel good about the direction of Florida State athletics under the new AD.
Alford had this to say about his new hire. “I think that Link is the finest coach in the game today, and that opinion is held by many in college baseball. We could not be more pleased that he will be leading our program,” said Alford. “He has been a proven winner at each of his coaching stops.
“His teams have not only posted historically successful seasons, but they have also mirrored Link’s tradition of running a first-class program. He is well-known for his record of developing players everywhere he has coached.
“He’s a Seminole through and through and there is no question that he will dedicate himself to the success of our student-athletes and his team. I know he is excited to be returning home and we are just as excited to welcome him and his family.”
I feel this a good hire for a program that needed a fresh start and should bring new energy to Dick Howser stadium next season. Welcome BACK to Nole Nation Coach Jarrett, we’re happy to have back in Garnet and Gold. Thank you for reading and Go Noles!
Enjoy this article? Share it on social media so others can too! We thank you for your support.
