A View From The Cheap Seats – Arizona Baseball Coach Opening

Posted on June 25, 2021

By Rich Herrera

Wildcats Radio 1290/CBS Sports Radio

The bad news that popped up during the show with KGUN9’s Jaosn Barr was on the air with me.  I knew my my head that was coming, but my heart was hoping it would never rear it’s ugly head came yesterday afternoon.  Jay Johnson is leaving for greener pastures and will become the next Head Baseball Coach at LSU.

Anytime you take your team to the CWS two times in the last 5 seasons you are going to attract a lot of attention.  Johnson did a very good job carrying the torch that was passed on to him from Andy Lopez.  Baseball is such a funny game.  What would have happened if Arizona won the CWS during his first year at the helm, what if Arizona had beaten Vandy on the first day of the CWS and were still playing today, would LSU have moved on from Jay Johnson and taken another candidate.  Who knows, you can twist yourself in a knot with all the “What If’s”.  I remind myself whenever a new coach is hired while all the applause is ringing in my ears, that all coaches have a shelf life.  Some will be let go, some will move on, and the few lucky ones will go out on their own terms.

I look at the job a coach did and ask did they leave the program in a better shape than they found it.  With Jay Johnson that isn’t as easy to judge.  Although he didn’t equal what Andy Lopez accomplished by bring home a CWS title to Tucson, he did take the Cats to the CWS to Omaha twice in five short seasons, and helped guide the program through the pandemic.  So in my book yes he does leave the program in great shape as he moves on the SEC.

 

So what is next for Arizona Baseball?

I have seen many folks on twitter and on line speculating and throwing names, Terry Francona …

Just like with Steve Kerr as much as the former Wildcats love Tucson, I don’t think Tito will leave a Big League Job to take over a Pac12 position as much as be loves the Cats, it just not going to happen.  Can you get other former Cats players Chip Hale, I don’t know, he has been a MLB Manager, not likely.  You never know but there is a bigger difference between pro ball and college baseball.

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