Texas A&M fans are rightly outraged that their head baseball coach left their program after he took them all the way to the MCWS finals. But it wasn’t just that he left the program that made it look bad; it’s the way he went about it. After his team lost the game, he was asked by a reporter about the rumors of a job opening (Texas Longhorns) and what his future at A&M looked like.
Schlossnagle’s reply was unfair and made him look terrible after the events unfolding these past few days. Schlossnagle said, “I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question, to be honest with ya. But I left my family to be the coach at Texas A&M. I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again.” These words would live in infamy, as he would go on to take another job. Not just any job, though, the Aggie’s most hated rival. The Texas Longhorns. Only making things go from bad to worse for him.
Berating a reporter for doing his job by asking an honest question to him, A question that was looming on everyone’s mind. Scholssnagle could have answered that question any other way, and the reception would have been so much better. He could have said, “You know, as of right now, I want to be there for my team and not worry about what tomorrow holds.” Take the Longhorns job, and no one but Aggies fans would have been mad.
He would later apologize publicly for what he said, but the fire was already burning. For those of you who might be coaches, Schlossnagle gave you the perfect example of what not to do. Do anything else but this, and you will be fine. A&M was stabbed in the back, and the Longhorns have increased this rivalry and hatred for one another. This season’s rivalry will be exciting to watch.
