Notre Dame Begins Search For New Baseball Head Coach
On Saturday morning, University of Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick announced that baseball head coach Mik Aoki’s contract will not be renewed for a 10th season in 2020.
Hired from Boston College in 2011, Aoki’s nine-year record with the Fighting Irish was 248-253-1, with the lone NCAA Tournament bid occurring in 2015. The NCAA Tournament appearance was a particularly impressive feat in Notre Dame’s second year in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in a second-place tie in the Atlantic Division with a 17-13 record in the league and 37-23 overall.
However, the Irish have not come close to building on that success the past four seasons while finishing either sixth or seventh each time in the seven-team Atlantic Division. They were last in 2016 (11-17 in the league, 27-27 overall) and 2017 (10-20, 26-32 overall), and sixth in 2018 and 2019, finishing 24-30 overall both times and 12-18 and 13-17, respectively, in conference action.
“I’m grateful to have worked with Mik over the last decade during our transition to the ACC,” said Swarbrick in a released statement. “He has been a great representative of this university and its athletics program, and his passion for the student-athletes and our community over his tenure were evident to everyone he met.
“We wish Mik and his family nothing but the best as he continues his coaching career.”
The University will immediately commence a national search for the program’s 21st head coach.
During Aoki’s nine seasons, 26 Irish players were drafted by Major League Baseball , with 13 selections in the first 10 rounds.
“My family and I are disappointed that the Notre Dame chapter of our lives has come to a close, but we are looking forward to what comes next,” said Aoki in a statement released by the school. “We are grateful to the University, (University President) Father (John) Jenkins and Jack (Swarbrick) for the opportunity to have coached here and to be a part of the Notre Dame and greater South Bend community.”
Following football’s introduction at Notre Dame in 1887, baseball became the school’s second varsity sport in 1892. It has been to 23 NCAA tournaments with two trips to the College World Series (1957, 2002) in Omaha, Nebraska.
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