South Carolina baseball coaching candidates: Top 5 Mark Kingston replacements for Gamecocks HC job ft. Landon Powell

South Carolina is looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Mark Kingston following seven seasons. After falling to James Madison, the Gamecocks were knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the Regional phase.

According to Kingston, despite the disappointing end to the postseason, he talked about their overall season performance:

"You don't think about anything other than your players and the disappointment they're about to feel, you just wish you can do anything to help them. They have nothing to be ashamed of. I wanted to be sure they knew we appreciated they laid it all on the line all year no matter what."

According to Ryan Tanner, the South Carolina athletic director, who promptly decided to fire Mark Kingston on Monday. So, let's look at the most likely replacements for Kingston.

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Five potential Mark Kingston replacements at South Carolina

#5 Cliff Godwin- East Carolina HC

Godwin has led his school to conference championships and several Super Regional appearances but is yet to crack into the College World Series.

A change of environment could be what he's looking for, and South Carolina is the place to achieve this next achievement. However, he's an ECU alumnus and might not be interested in leaving.

#4 Landon Powell- North Greenville HC

A native of the neighboring North Carolina, Powell has earned a spot in Gamecocks folklore for his role in helping them reach the 2002 College World Series final against Texas.

However, he only holds experience as a Div-II coach at North Greenville and should be considered a long shot.

#3 Josh Elander- Tennesse's Assistant

The Volunteers are having a season to be remembered, having won the SEC regular season crown and grabbing the SEC tournament title.

Now, they enter the Super Regional phase as one of the favorites to win the natty. Elander has had a hand in all of this, helping coach Tony Vitello. Is he ready for his own head coaching job now?

#2 Mount Lee- South Carolina's AHC

According to the brief press release by the South Carolina Department of Athletics, associate head coach Mount Lee will immediately take the position of interim head coach.

As a South Carolina native, he would be a hit with the fans, and as a former recruiting coordinator, he has the knowledge and connections to lead the program.

#1 Tom Walter- Wake Forest HC

Walter has turned Wake Forest into a program to be reckoned with. In 2023, he led the Demon Deacons to the College World Series as the No. 1 seed in the nation, on the back of a 54-12 record and an ACC mark of 22-7.

Could this be his time to jump to the more prestigious SEC?