OMAHA, Nebraska — After leading Texas A&M to the College World Series finals and losing to Tennessee on Monday night, Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle was upset when he was linked to the vacant head coaching job at rival Texas.

Following the Aggies' 6-5 loss at Charles Schwab Field in a playoff game that could have secured the first national championship in program history, Schlossnagle was asked to comment on the Texas vacancy that opened on Monday and his future in College Station.

“To be honest, I think it's pretty selfish of you to ask me that question,” Schlossnagle said. “I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M never to take another job again. And that hasn't changed, in my opinion. It's unfair to talk about something like that. … I understand you have to ask the question, but I gave up a big part of my life to take this job, and I put every ounce of my soul into this job, and I gave this job every single ounce I could give. Write that.”

After Tennessee’s 6-5 victory over Texas A&M, which decisively sealed the CWS, @AggieBaseball Head coach Jim Schlossnagle was asked about a “specific job opening” and his future with the Aggies:

📹: 2019-09-14 pic.twitter.com/dhKfIXddHo

– Dennis de la Pena (@dennisonfox7) 25 June 2024

Texas fired coach David Pierce on Monday after the Longhorns went 36-24 this season and were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with two losses in the Bryan-College Station Regional, including a 4-2 loss to the Aggies in 11 innings. The team went 295-162 during Pierce's eight seasons and reached the College World Series in 2018, 2021 and 2022. Its best finish came in 2021 with a 50-win team that was one win away from the CWS final.

The Longhorns are the winningest team in college baseball with six national titles, but move into a deep-seated SEC that has produced five consecutive national champions. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement he met with Pierce at the end of the season and they mutually agreed to a change.

“I am so grateful for Coach Pierce and everything he has invested in our baseball program over the past eight years,” said Del Conte. “He is an incredible person and I have truly enjoyed the time I have spent working with him. I appreciate the passion, pride and unwavering commitment he has shown in coaching and working with our student-athletes and am grateful for all he has done for Texas Athletics and our entire university community as our head coach. I wish Coach Pierce and his family the best in the future.”

Texas hasn't won a national championship since Augie Garrido led the program to its conclusion in 2005. The legendary coach led the program for 20 years before retiring at the end of the 2016 season. Pierce was poached by Tulane as his successor and was twice named Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Schlossnagle worked for Del Conte at TCU from 2009-2017, and they made four straight College World Series appearances during their time together. He has led the Aggies to Omaha twice in his three seasons, made the program's first appearance in the CWS finals, and has already won more CWS games than any other coach in school history.

“It's hard to take in,” Schlossnagle said. “When you get this far, everyone wants to win their last game. I couldn't be more proud of our team and I'm honored to be at Texas A&M and be part of the 12th Man. It's a very special experience every year.”

Schlossnagle said he believes such a strong start to his tenure at Texas A&M is possible because it is a “fantastic place” that has what it takes to be a consistent postseason contender in the SEC. An $80 million renovation of Blue Bell Park has already been approved by A&M regents.

“It's been a lot of hard work and we still have a lot of work to do,” Schlossnagle said. “The guys are coming in this week, got to keep some guys in the draft and put together another good team. We're losing a lot of good players.”

Tennessee's Tony Vitello was not asked about his job at Texas or his future after the Vols' first national championship win, although pitcher Zander Sechrist urged athletic director Danny White during the postgame press conference to give his head coach a lifetime contract. White expressed confidence in keeping Vitello should a school court him.

“I don't think I even need to have this conversation,” White said. “Tony knows what he's built here, and it's special. It's a relationship between him and his players and the program he's built and the fans that you really can't replace. Tennessee baseball is here to stay, and he's the reason why.”

(Photo: Eakin Howard / Getty Images)