David Pierce, who has UH, Rice and area high school ties, will be UT’s next coach.
Houstonian leaves Tulane to take reins from Garrido
AUSTIN — During the 30 days Texas spent looking for a head coach, the national college baseball economy experienced one of its biggest upticks in ages. Some potential candidates signed extensions. Others received raises. At least one got a promise of new facilities.
And after a month of helping the greater good, the Longhorns finally snagged a coach of their own.
David Pierce, a 53-yearold Texan who attended Houston, served as an assistant at Rice and spent the last two seasons turning Tulane into a national power, was announced Wednesday as the Longhorns’ new coach.
Pierce replaces Augie Garrido, whose 20-year tenure ended when he was reassigned May 30. Pierce becomes just the fourth Longhorns head coach of the past 70 years, following Garrido, Cliff Gustafson (1968-96) and Bibb Falk (1946-67).
“As a kid growing up in Texas, I dreamed of being a Longhorn and wearing the burnt orange,” Pierce said in a statement released Wednesday by UT. “Today that dream is coming true.”
Local roots
Pierce, who spent three seasons as coach at Sam Houston State before the last two at Tulane, interviewed for the UT job almost two weeks ago. But Longhorns athletic director Mike Perrin waited to make a decision as he continued to consider coaches involved in the College World Series.
TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle, Louisville’s Dan McDonnell, LSU’s Paul Mainieri and Oregon State’s Pat Casey were among the candidates who reportedly signed or agreed to new deals after Garrido was reassigned. Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan reportedly received assurances the Gators will upgrade their baseball infrastructure.
So that brought the Longhorns back to Pierce, long well-regarded as a versatile, energetic coach who’s been in charge of both pitchers and hitters during his career.
Pierce will be introduced as the Longhorns’ coach at a news conference Thursday Terms of his contract were not immediately available, but his predecessor, Garrido, was one of the nation’s top-paid baseball coaches at $1 million per year.
“David has deep roots in Texas and has strong recruiting connections throughout our state and surrounding states,” Perrin said in UT’s official release. “But beyond that, he is a great man who has a passion for leading and developing young men in all aspects of life.”
A graduate of Houston’s St. Pius X High School, Pierce began as an assistant at his alma mater in 1989. His longest stint came as an assistant under Rice’s Wayne Graham from 20032011, a stretch that included a national championship and three other College World Series appearances.
Return to prominence
In five seasons as a head coach, Pierce is 197-109, including a 41-21 mark at Tulane this season. Although he hasn’t made it to the super regionals as a head coach, he did lift the Green Wave into the national top 15 at one point in 2016.
The brother-in-law of Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, Pierce inherits a UT program that has won six national championships but has struggled in recent seasons. This season, the Longhorns (25-32) tied a school record for losses and missed the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five years.
Garrido, now a special assistant to Perrin, issued a statement hailing Pierce as “a very fine choice.”
“He takes great pride in his work,” Garrido said. “He’s knowledgeable and passionate about what he’s doing and who he’s doing it for. He’s a heart-and-soul Texan who will make every effort for this program.”