Dalton Reeves shares what impressed him the most in a recent conversation with Paul Mainieri
Even though Dalton Reeves’ playing days are over at South Carolina, he’s still very much around the program. Since the 2024 season ended, the former Gamecock catcher still goes to Founders Park four to five days a week to work out.
On one of those days recently where he was at the field, he had a chance to speak with new head coach Paul Mainieri.
“I was just there and wanted to say hi and meet him. And he already knew who I was. We had a probably five to 10 minute talk,” Reeves told GamecockCentral. “He’s a guy that’s very genuine and I feel like he’s also going to be hard at times and that’s something Carolina baseball needs. I wish I was there. I feel like I would enjoy that.”
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From the time he did get to speak to him, Reeves said Mainieri gave him an “old school, traditional” vibe. He also mentioned that it seems Mainieri has been able to gain a grasp of the transfer portal and everything else that was foreign to him when he first arrived in Columbia.
“I feel like it’s going to be a really good season for them and the next few years,” Reeves said. “I mean, Paul Mainieri, he’s obviously a winner. He’s won at multiple different schools. I think being here and bringing his staff with him, it’s going to be really fun to watch.”
But what really stood out to Reeves was something Mainieri has reiterated on more than one occasion by now. At 66 years old, it’s unclear how many years the veteran coach has left in the game. He already knows this is the final stop in his illustrious career. So why not go for it right away?
“He said it himself, he’s not looking to make a five-year plan, like he’s looking to win this year,” Reeves said. “He’s not trying to rebuild the program, which all the players know we’re not in a rebuild. There’s plenty of talent at Carolina right now. And so I think they’re going to make a really, really good run in the next few years, if not next year.”
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In addition to Mainieri, a high-caliber coaching staff comes along with him. Terry Rooney, who worked with Mainieri at both Notre Dame and LSU, comes to Columbia as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Then there’s John Hendry whose title is assistant coach, but he will be working with the pitching staff next season.
But the big hire, at least in Reeves’ opinion, was retaining Monte Lee, who was the only assistant coach remaining from the previous staff. Lee moves into the role of associate head coach/hitting coach now.
“Monte’s the glue that keeps the whole team together, man,” Reeves said. “Monte’s a dude that Carolina needs. He knows everybody that’s already there. He’s done a really good job recruiting. With him back, that was a really big piece to keep the locker room where it’s at.”
In the days after South Carolina fired former head coach Mark Kingston, many of the players vouched for Lee to become the new leader of the program. Ultimately, that didn’t happen. But keeping him around and on staff was more than good enough for everyone who had played for him.
“”He’s such a relationship driven coach. He’s worrying about what’s your family doing, how’s your family doing, what are you doing outside of baseball? He’s that kind of coach where he’s more worried about you as a person than you as a player. That is something I really appreciated in a coach,” Reeves said.
“He’s very genuine, but he’s also very straightforward. He tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear. I think that’s a thing that a lot of the players really appreciate about him is that he’s very honest. He’s not going to really sugarcoat anything, but then he’s also going to help you figure out solutions and figure out ways to do stuff.”
