Paul Mainieri reflects on 'reluctant' retirement at LSU

Paul Mainieri was running one of the best programs in college baseball for nearly 15 years. LSU consistently made the College World Series and even won a national championship in 2009. But after the 2021 season, Mainieri decided he needed to retire and step away from baseball.

Retiring was not a move Mainieri wanted to make. He recently admitted the decision was “reluctant” but his hand was forced due to health issues. If LSU was going to continue to be at the top of college baseball, somebody else, with a little more energy, was needed in Mainieri’s eyes.

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“Well, I reluctantly retired after the ’21 season,” Mainieri said during Thursday’s episode of The Paul Finebaum Show. “I was just really dealing with some health issues that were zapping my energy and I was in constant pain. I just felt like I couldn’t go on.

“So, I went in to talk to Scott Woodward and told him that I felt the program would be better served with somebody that was younger and healthier and more enthusiastic than I could muster at that time. It wasn’t that I wanted to walk away, it’s just that I felt like I had to.”

Even when going through the health problems, Mainieri was still having success in Baton Rouge. Nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments had been made with seven Super Regionals and three trips to Omaha. A run of form anybody out there would take without really hesitating.

The final three seasons saw two Super Regionals and a postseason canceled due to COVID-19. While Mainieri did not break through to the College World Series, still positive results.

But as Mainieri told Finebaum, the health issues were too much to overcome and LSU needed somebody else to lead them.

Woodward certainly did his job in finding the right leader. Jay Johnson was hired away from Arizona and the results instantly came. LSU was the best team in the country during the 2023 season, made the CWS, and won the national championship.

Paul Skenes brings a lot of headlines from that team but a lot of the players were originally recruited by Mainieri. Dylan Crews was also a star for the Tigers and the former head coach was the one to bring him into the program.

South Carolina is hoping Mainieri still has his recruiting chops and can bring that kind of talent. Thankfully, the health seems to be in a good spot for Mainieri, and is back in the coaching world with the Gamecocks.

Leaving LSU at the time was not what he wanted but may have worked out best for everyone.