Report: Texas A&M expected to hire former hitting coach Michael Earley to replace Jim Schlossnagle

The Texas A&M Aggies are expected to hire hitting coach Michael Earley as the team’s next head baseball coach, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.

This comes shortly after Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle chose to leave Texas A&M for Texas after leading the Aggies to the College World Series. Michael Early had initially moved on from the Aggies and taken the hitting coach job with the Longhorns as Schlossnagle intended on bringing his entire staff to Austin.

Michael Earley was the hitting coach for the Aggies under Jim Schlossnagle. He had previously been expected to move to Texas with Schlossnagle before getting hired to be the next head coach in College Station. Earley was with Texas A&M for the previous three seasons.

Billy Liucci of TexAgs added context to the reported hire. He shared that this is a “wildly popular” move within the program. Apparently, one of the key determinations in Michael Early landing the job was his interview, in which he was very impressive to athletic director Trev Alberts.

For Alberts, who is new to Texas A&M after joining the university in March, this will be his first major hire.

As a player, Michael Earley played for the Indiana Hoosiers where he was an outfielder. He would go on to be a 29th-round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the MLB Draft. He then climbed as high as Triple-A Charlotte in six professional seasons before he transitioned into scouting and eventually coaching at Arizona State.

The Aggies had plenty of offensive success under Michael Earley. That included hitting a program record 136 home runs in 2024. On top of that, the Aggies also had a slugging percentage of .543 and a team on-base percentage of .415 for the 2024 season. That made them one of the best offensive teams in the country and helped power the Aggies to Omaha.

Jace LaViolette, Braden Montgomery, and Gavin Grahovac became the first-ever 20-homer trio in program history in 2024. Together, they combined to hit 79 long balls.

Prior to coming to Texas A&M, Michael Earley worked with hitters at Arizona State. While with the Sun Devils, much like was the case in 2024, his teams were known for their power hitting.

During his time in College Station, Michael Earley and his offenses were a key piece in Texas A&M’s success, going 135-62 and reaching the Men’s College World Series twice.

An official announcement is expected shortly.