Dan Campbell gives his thoughts on Jim Schlossnagle jumping ship for Texas
Even with football season soon approaching, Texas A&M fans are still abuzz about everything that went down with Jim Schlossnagle and the Aggie baseball program. The former A&M coach leaving so suddenly for such a bitter rival made waves across the nation, especially considering the ingracious exit that he made.
Of course, Texas A&M baseball has bounced back under Michael Earley with aplomb. They've been cleaning the clock of any team they'd like to when it comes to the transfer portal, including the school down in Austin. This has made everything much easier to bear for the Aggie fans, as the program is still as strong as it has ever been.
Of course, in the bleedover between the end of the College World Series, all of this intrigue, and football preseason soon on the way, there's bound to be some topical spillage in some media appearances. In a radio interview on 96.7 The Ticket today, Lions head coach Dan Campbell—a former player for and fierce supporter of the Aggies—was asked about Schlossnagle's defection by Hardline host Corby "The Snake" Davidson.
Campbell was initially loath to criticize Schlossnagle—understandable, since he is a coach himself. "You try to put yourself in his shoes, and who knows the decisions, the reasons... what do you say, what do you not say?... It's one of those tough moments, I hate to criticize..."
In fact, Campbell even praised Schlossnagle: "I know this: as an Aggie, I hate to see him go, 'cause he's a... good coach." Immediately after, though, he tipped his hand—if ever so slightly. "On the flipside, man, hey, sayonara. So, now you're the enemy, so let's go beat his ."
I think a lot of Aggie fans will resonate with that from Campbell—and I like his approach. Be diplomatic if you need to, but let them know where things stand all the same.