Ray Tanner talks progress on potential Mark Kingston extension

Mark Kingston and his staff are out on the recruiting trail trying to put the finishing touches on the Gamecocks’ 2024 roster. But there is another looming matter back in Columbia as well.

That’s the situation with Kingston’s contract and the possibility of a reworked contract for the Gamecocks’ head baseball coach in the coming weeks. 

Speaking to GamecockCentral after Friday’s board of trustees meeting, athletics director Ray Tanner mentioned there have been conversations with Kingston’s camp about that.

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“Matt Williams has just been hired so we’re working through his agreement now,” Tanner said. “Coach Kingston and I are working towards something hopefully in the near future. He has a representative and I’ve had conversations with his rep.” 

South Carolina just hired Williams this week to replace Justin Parker as the Gamecocks’ pitching coach. Williams’ contract was not brought to the board Friday, although it should come sometime soon. 

With Kingston, he could be in line for an extension and a raise this offseason after the Gamecocks went 42-21 this season. 

As it stands right now, Kingston’s contract has two years left on it and will run through June 30, 2025. For recruiting reasons, coaches like to have at least three to four years on a deal at any given time. 

Kingston makes $600,000 annually, which ranks near the bottom in the SEC among head baseball coaches’ salaries.

That ranked 11th-highest among SEC coaches’ salaries in the SEC, according to the Tennessean. Only Kentucky’s Nick Mingione, Alabama’s Brad Bohannon and Missouri’s Steve Bieser made less. 

Missouri has since hired Kerrick Jackson for $675,000 annually. Details about Alabama’s new head coach Rob Vaughn’s contract aren’t out as of this writing. 

Georgia will pay head coach Wes Johnson $700,000 annually. 

Tanner didn’t say if there was a date on which the Gamecocks would like to have a potential extension approved, just that he’s spoken with Kingston’s representation. 

South Carolina is coming off arguably its best season in seven years and maybe the best since Kingston took over. The Gamecocks won 40 games and were a top 16 seed for the first time since 2016. 

South Carolina won a regional and advanced to the Supers for the first time since 2018 before ultimately falling to Florida in two games.

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It’s been an up-and-down tenure so far for Kingston, who just finished his fifth full season at South Carolina. 

In those five full seasons, South Carolina is 168-126 overall (.571 win percentage) and 70-79 in the SEC. That excludes the COVID-shortened 2020 season where South Carolina started 12-4. 

The Gamecocks have made three NCAA Tournaments in five full seasons, making a Super Regional in 2018 before losing in three games to Arkansas. They went 1-2 in a home regional as a two-seed in 2021. 

South Carolina didn’t make the tournament in 2019, giong 28-28 overall and 8-22 in the SEC. Last season was the program’s first losing season since 1996. South Carolina, dealing with injuries, went 27-28 and 13-17 in the SEC. 

The Gamecocks bounced back in a good way this year with a 42-win season. They are now trying to build on that this offseason. 

Williams takes over for Parker. And Monte Lee–would could also be in line for an extension and pay bump–coming back for his second season as the team’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.