After the Texas Longhorns’ season ended at the hands of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the form of a 10-2 blowout, speculation ran rampant regarding the future of the program. To be more specific, rumors and questions began to swirl about whether or not coach David Pierce would return for the 2025 campaign.
Well, just weeks after the aforementioned loss that question has been answered. After eight seasons leading the Longhorns, Pierce’s time in Austin has come to an end. Rather than giving him one more season, the two parties will be parting ways. This decision comes during the offseason prior to Texas’ move to the SEC.
“After the season, Coach Pierce and I had some time to visit about the year, the future of our program, where we are, and where we’re headed. It was a difficult decision for us both, but we have mutually agreed that we should make a change,” Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said in a statement. “I am so grateful for Coach Pierce and all he has poured into our baseball program for the past eight years. He is an incredible person, and I’ve truly enjoyed my time working with him. I appreciate the passion, pride and steadfast commitment he had for coaching and working with our student-athletes and am thankful for all he’s done for Texas Athletics and our entire university community as our head coach. I wish Coach Pierce and his family the best in the future.”
While questions persisted up until the decision was ultimately made, it at times felt like an inevitability depending on who you asked. Whether or not it was the right decision, well, that depends on who you ask. To some, it was time for Pierce to go, while others felt he had done enough to lead the team in its first season in the SEC — an undeniably tougher conference than the Big 12.
In Pierce’s eight seasons leading the Longhorns, he led them to a 297-162 overall record, including a 101-71 showing in Big 12 play. His teams made the NCAA Tournament in six of his eight seasons, not including the 2020 season that was canceled due to Covid. Three of those appearances resulted in a trip to Omaha and the College World Series, including back-to-back trips in 2021-22.
Ultimately, though, he could not get Texas over the hump and had regressed since the 2022 CWS appearance. The Longhorns made it to the Palo Alto Super Regional in 2023, and in his final season they went 36-24 (20-10) before going 0-2 in the Big 12 Tournament and being eliminated in the College Station Regional.
“(Chris Del Conte) and I met after the season and we mutually agreed that the best thing for the program was to go in a different direction,” Pierce said. “It’s been an honor and privilege to lead this program for the last eight years. It certainly is a time I will always cherish as a coach, and I am so appreciative of The University of Texas for the opportunity. Thank you to Longhorn Nation, the fan base, our support staff, student assistants and the media who covered us so well. I especially want to thank the coaches and our former and current players who helped us win a lot of games and represented our program in a first-class manner. Thank you all for your hard work, dedication and commitment to Texas Baseball. You will forever be in my heart, and I look forward to continuing to cheer you on in baseball and beyond.”
Now the question that will come next is who lands the job in his succession.
There is no denying the prestige that Texas has in the baseball realm, and with that prestige comes heightened expectations. Look for Athletics Director Chris Del Conte to make a big splash with the next hire, especially with the upcoming conference switch.
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