Paul Mainieri’s Bittersweet Exit | College Basketball News

College Basketball News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 14, 2026 · 1m

Paul Mainieri, the former South Carolina baseball coach, candidly reflects on his abrupt exit after just 23 games in his second season — leaving the Gamecocks at 12-11. He admits the toughest part wasn’t the record, but facing his alma mater, LSU, in Baton Rouge — a deeply personal and awkward ordeal. With 15 years at LSU, including a 2009 national title and meeting his wife there, Mainieri still roots for the Tigers — but his loyalty was to South Carolina’s mission. He took the job at 66, inheriting a struggling program and going 28-29 his first year, viewing his stint as a temporary…