After relieving Matt Bragga of his duties, Rice baseball is looking for a new head coach. Here are five potential names the Owls might consider.
Early reports have begun to emerge regarding potential candidates for the now opener Rice baseball head coaching position. Here are five names that could be in the mix over the next several weeks, linked either through a previous report or by their previous connection with the school.
Pat Hallmark
An All-Southwestern Conference catcher at Rice who returned to South Main as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2016. From there he spent one year at Missouri as an assistant before being named the head coach at Incarnate Word. Hallmark was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 2019, springboarding him to the UTSA head coaching job, where he’s accrued a 32-31 record over the past two seasons.
Jake Gautreau
A prominent assistant that’ll be in the running for several jobs this offseason, Gautreau currently serves as the hitting coach for Mississippi State. Prior to arriving in Starkville, he spent time as an assistant at Tulane, where he’d been named a two-time Conference USA Player of the Year during his playing days. He and the next name on this list were both tabbed as candidates to watch by D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.
Sean Allen
Like Gautreau, Allen also has a Tulane connection. The well-traveled assistant spent two seasons as an assistant with the Green Wave, with other stops at Houston, Sam Houston and FIU. He’s been with the Longhorns for the past nine seasons. For what it’s worth, he follows The Roost on Twitter shortly after the news of Bragga’s dismissal was released.
Rob Childress
The longtime Texas A&M head coach was not offered a new contract following the 2021 season which saw his team miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. During his time in College Station he led the Aggies to six conference titles and two College World Series appearances. He wouldn’t have to travel far were he to relocate to Houston, which he reportedly would have interest in doing.
Lance Berkman
This list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the Rice great Lance Berkman. His proximity and to the school and his name-brand cache might warrant attention, but no reports have directly linked him to the job just yet. Rogers actually tabbed Berkman as a name to keep an eye on in a coaching search across town. Houston Baptist is also looking for a new skipper and Berkman is expected to be a candidate in that search.
