New South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri doesn't have 3-year plan. He wants to win now

COLUMBIA — Paul Mainieri didn't read from a piece of paper. He addressed the media with lengthy answers, he thanked his family from the heart and he praised athletic director Ray Tanner, confessing he finds it cool that his new boss is his dear friend.

Donning a garnet tie with a Gamecocks logo, Mainieri was formally introduced Thursday afternoon as the next coach of the South Carolina baseball team.

Last week, after Mark Kingston was fired after seven seasons, Tanner called Mainieri to discuss coaching candidates and in the mix of asking for recommendations, Tanner sneaked in, "How about you?"

Mainieri, who retired as LSU's baseball coach after the 2021 season, felt like there was something missing the past few years. It turned out to be coaching, and now that it is back, he says it is all about winning now.

"They're close, there is talent on this team," Mainieri said in the Cockaboose Club at Williams-Brice Stadium. "I don't have a three-year plan, I don't have a five-year plan, I got a one-year plan . . . If we do a little more to supplement the team we have coming back, I don't see why we can't compete for everything right out of the gate. I didn't come here to lose, I didn't come here to be mediocre. In my opinion, Carolina baseball represents excellence."

Mainieri has a career record of 1,505-777-8 in 39 seasons. At LSU, from 2007 to 2021, he went 641-283-3, with a College World Series championship in 2009. Mainieri, who was named the national coach of the year in 2015, led the Tigers to the CWS four other times, including a runner-up finish in 2017.

He stated clearly during the news conference that this would be his last coaching job.

Monte Lee, who served as Kingston's associate head coach, will be a critical part of Mainieri's coaching staff. Lee signed a three-year deal, paid $550,000 annually. According to Baseball America's Teddy Cahill, Lee is now the highest-paid assistant coach in college baseball.

Given Lee's recruiting responsibilities, he has to look beyond this upcoming season.

"You have to do everything you can to put the best product on the field now because we play in the best of the best league," Lee said. "We better put a team on the field that can compete right now but you also want to make sure you are building from within while you do that. The transfer portal, we have to use that to compete but we also better make sure we have guys that are homegrown, that come in as freshmen and develop."

Standing in front of the crowd, Mainieri said he doesn't feel anything close to his age of 66 — more like 40, and has never felt better.

"I am so excited about being here and doing this job, I can't wait to meet (women's basketball coach) Dawn Staley," Mainieri said. "(South Carolina) is a place filled with champions and people who want to do things the right way."

CONTRACT DETAILS:Paul Mainieri contract, salary details for newly hired South Carolina baseball coach

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin