Coastal Carolina University has hired Chris Lemonis as its new head baseball coach. Lemonis, a native of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a former player and coach at The Citadel. He led Mississippi State to a national championship in 2021.
Local Connection
Lemonis graduated from Socastee High School in 1988 and played baseball at The Citadel. His wife, Jill, is a Coastal Carolina graduate. The couple has two daughters, Marissa and Mackenzie.
Lemonis spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at The Citadel before moving to Louisville as an assistant and recruiting coordinator. He became the head coach at Indiana in 2015 and led the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Mississippi State and Beyond
In 2018, Lemonis became the head coach at Mississippi State, where he won a national championship in 2021. He was fired by the school in 2025, but his coaching record and experience made him an attractive candidate for Coastal Carolina.
Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller said Lemonis was the top choice for the job from the start of the search. The school is committed to funding baseball at a high level, which was a key factor in Lemonis’s decision to take the job.
What’s Next
Lemonis takes over a Coastal Carolina team that went 37-23 in 2026 and finished second in the Sun Belt conference. The team has a strong foundation in place, with a roster that is two years removed from a College World Series appearance.
Original reporting: MyrtleBeachSC News — read the source article.
