Texas officially enters the SEC on Monday.
In light of the auspicious occasion, I found a useful website called “The Art of Manliness” which gives nine simple steps for “How to Enter a Room Like a Boss.”
The tips are broken down into two sections; what to do before you enter the room and how to enter the room.
PREPARING TO ENTER THE ROOM
HOW TO ENTER A ROOM
If all of that is too much to remember, the next time you need to enter the room like a boss, just think of this guy and do what he would do.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte just put the SEC on notice. The Longhorns are entering the conference not just to be a member, they’re coming in prepared to dominate.
New Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is just the latest in a string of incredible hires from Del Conte. Schloss arrives fresh off the College World Series finals where he was a few outs away from winning it all.
That is exactly the MO (modus operandi) that Del Conte follows when hiring a new coach. Find someone who is already established and wins a lot … and hire that person.
There is now an elite collection of coaches already in Austin.
Here is every coach Del Conte has assembled since coming to Austin.
TEXAS COACHING HIRES:
Football: Steve Sarkisian
Baseball: Jim Schlossnagle
Men's Basketball: Chris Beard & Rodney Terry
Women's Basketball: Vic Schaeffer
Women’s Golf: Laura Ianello
Beach Volleyball: Stein Metzger
Men's Swimming: Bob Bowman
Men's Tennis: Bruce Berque
Track and Field & Cross Country: Edrick Floréal
Softball: Mike White
Several of those hires, including the new women’s golf coach, Laura Ianello who was hired earlier this month, had already won national championships at their previous school before Del Conte came calling.
“I asked Coach Ianello, our new women’s golf coach, what made her choose to come here and leave her alma mater in Arizona,” Texas President Jay Hartzell said ahead of Schlossnagle’s introduction Wednesday. “Really quickly, she got to the rest of the coaches that we’ve assembled here at our university.
“That’s a credit for the entire athletic department staff, our student athletes and for Chris Del Conte, bringing in such talented leaders of our student athletes together is really making this a special place at a special time.”
Folks, we’re living in the heyday of Texas athletics … and that’s not going to slow down just because UT is now joining the SEC.
The coaches that are leading the majority of the programs are among the elite of the elite in their professions … and Jim Schlossnagle is no different.
Del Conte hired Schlossnagle away from another school (checking notes … ah yes) Texas A&M. Schlossnagle now becomes only the sixth coach to lead UT baseball dating back to 1911.
Billy Disch (1911–1939)
Bibb Falk (1940–1967)
Cliff Gustafson (1968–1996)
Augie Garrido (1997–2016)
David Pierce (2017-2024)
Jim Schlossnagle (2025 -
This hire probably doesn’t happen if Del Conte and Schlossnagle hadn't already established a working relationship when they were both at TCU … a relationship that has blossomed into one where they are now BFF’s.
“There wasn’t anybody at Texas A&M that I couldn’t trust,” said Schlossnagle. “I just know that I could trust Chris and I couldn’t walk away from that.”
Of course, Schloss may not be able to trust everyone at A&M anymore now that he left them for their arch rival.
“If I had left Texas A&M for a job in another part of the country, the interesting messages and text messages probably wouldn’t have happened,” Schlossnagle said, “But I get it.
“You can’t ask for your fan base to support you and be passionate like the 12th Man always has been,” Schlossnagle said understandingly. “And then expect everybody to be ok with a coach leaving for its rival school.”
The importance of that hire isn’t JUST that UT hired away an elite coach from one of its biggest rivals, it is also important because Schloss knows what it will take to win in the SEC.
“Beginning now, we have to prepare to compete in the Major Leagues of college baseball,” Schlossnagle said early on in his introductory press conference Wednesday. “If you’ve never been in SEC baseball, get ready. It is as fun and competitive as it can possibly be.”
You think football in the SEC is going to be competitive? SEC baseball is a whole other level. The Vanderbilt’s and Mississippi State “breathers” you get in football, don’t exist in baseball. Heck, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State have both won the College World Series this decade. Ironically, Pierce might still have his job if UT had beaten Mississippi State in the 2021 season.
“There are now 16 baseball programs in the SEC that are committed at the highest level,” Schlossnagle continued, before adding emphatically. “We will be ready for that.”
TIME TO HIT THE PORTAL
David Pierce is no longer the UT baseball coach, in no small part, because of his inability or unwillingness to be a major player in the transfer portal.
Schlossnagle understands that you can not win in Omaha without utilizing the transfer portal to its fullest extent.
Tennessee doesn’t win without the contributions from transfers.
Where would LSU have been the year before without landing Paul Skenes from Air Force or Tommy White from NC State?
Schloss said he and his staff, which he brought his entire staff with him from College Station, were hitting the phones right after the introductory press conference and lunch.
“We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” Schlossnagle said. “But there is enough time for us to get to, not just the returning players, but incoming players in the portal as well as the high school players that are coming here. We want to get to connect with them very fast.”
Some of the first calls will probably be to some of Schloss’ former players at Texas A&M who were quick to enter the portal after their entire staff left for Austin.
Texas will definitely be going after some or all of these guys.
Jace LaViolette is obviously the crown jewel of the bunch. The outfielder has one more year of college baseball left before he becomes one of the top draft picks in next year’s MLB draft … if not the number one overall pick. He’s that good.
I mentioned in the baseball thread that I wasn’t entirely sure that LaViolette would leave A&M for his final season, and he may still decide to stay. But what I didn’t count on was that with everyone gone, he can now shop his services and get even more NIL money out of his next school. LSU is the betting favorite.
Gavin Grahovac would be the next big get. Texas has a big hole to fill at third base with the departure of Peyton Powell and no obvious replacement. In his freshman season, Grahovac started 67 games and hit .298 with 23 home runs on his way to earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Kaeden Kent would be another obvious target. The Austin native (did you know he’s Jeff Kent’s son?) hit .327 last season.
Sorrell and Lamkin may be in play for UT as well – we’ll just have to wait and see what kind of offers these kids all get before they start to make their decisions.
TIME TO OPEN YOUR WALLET
Texas has struggled to maximize its potential when it comes to NIL benefits for the baseball program.
Not to kick a man when he is down, but I know Pierce struggled to connect with donors. That, combined with the sluggishness surrounding the program, kept many UT fans from opening their wallets.
But those reasons are now gone … as our resident Texas One Fund poster, @AgaveHorn noted immediately after Schloss was hired.
Texas A&M prioritized baseball NIL dollars during Schlossnagle’s tenure and he was able to land players such as Braden Montgomery from Stanford. (Not for nothing, but Montgomery was injured in the Super Regional. Had he been healthy for the CWS, it may have been enough to push A&M over the top.)
“I know Texas A&M was fully committed in that area,” Schlossnagle said. “I know the University of Texas will be fully committed in that area.”
Indeed … new NIL contributions are already coming in … just do Deke a favor and don’t tell his wife.
Before y’all start in with the complaints about NIL and how it’s not like it used to be, just keep reading.
Schlossnagle was quick to point out that NIL is not the end all, be all when it comes to recruiting. Kids still make their decisions based on the same factors that have always impacted college baseball recruiting.
“The NIL stuff kind of puts you in the game, I guess,” said Schlossnagle. “But there’s a lot of people in the game. And once you get in the game, then it actually does, in baseball, boil down to academics, player development and team success.”
Listening to Schlossnagle talk about NIL, he actually sounded a lot like Steve Sarkisian.
Schloss said he has had conversations with players who only wanted to talk about NIL.
“We will not be recruiting those players,” Schlossnagle said. “We get what the game is today, but we want winning players that are winning people that are going to represent this university at the absolute highest level so we can win championships.
“I think it’s about creating a team. You can still do that if you have standards and core values and you still to them. You can still do that in this era.”
Not only does that sound like Sark, I would venture to guess that you would hear a similar refrain from Vic Shaefer, Mike White, Laura Ianello, etc. …
Texas coaches seem united behind the vision athletic director Chris Del Conte has laid out for them. And when UT officially joins the SEC on Monday, they are walking through that door like a boss – ready to dominate.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
Now that the College World Series is over – every NCAA event of the 2023/24 year is officially done. It is time, once again, to look at those Directors Cup standings.
Yep. I’m telling you, Texas is going into the SEC like a boss.
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I already mentioned that Schloss is bring his entire coaching staff with him, but I can’t emphasize enough how big of a deal this is.
This is what I wrote in my “instant analysis" piece after Orangebloods confirmed the Schlossnagle hire.
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I didn't think much of EA Sports home stadium power rankings, but this feels about right.
The Texas offense is going to hit its strides this season in ways we haven't seen around here since Colt McCoy was under center (not that he actually spent a lot of time under center).
You have to especially be pumped about the offensive line given the notes about Cam Williams that @Anwar Richardson and @Alex Dunlap had this week.
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Good grief. The silly season of conference realignment really doesn't stop.
I’m telling you right now, I know Aggies are upset about Schloss leaving, but they are NEVER leaving the SEC for the Big Ten.
###############################
But tell me again why Notre Dame isn’t in the Big Ten? It not only makes geographical sense (which I know is somewhat irrelevant in a conference that literally stretches from coast to coast, but all of their biggest rivals are in that conference as well.
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We’ve talked a lot about baseball and I want to remind everyone, it IS a contact sport.
Be safe out there.
###############################
And one final A&M dig for y’all on #AggieFactThursday from my boy Kyle Umlang
In light of the auspicious occasion, I found a useful website called “The Art of Manliness” which gives nine simple steps for “How to Enter a Room Like a Boss.”
The tips are broken down into two sections; what to do before you enter the room and how to enter the room.
PREPARING TO ENTER THE ROOM
- Create a dressing ritual: Creating a routine, like laying out your clothes the night before, helps provide a sense of calm the day before and it ensures you don’t forget anything or make a mistake like putting on two different socks.
- Do power poses before entering a room: It turns out that postures that are expansive, open and take up a lot of space are associated with power and dominance. Studies show just two minutes of power poses spikes your testosterone and lowers your cortisol, helping you feel calm, confident and self-assured.
- Reset your emotional state to minimize nervousness: Try to occupy your mind with something light to distract you for overthinking about the task at hand. For example, sing in the shower or play a game.
- Know before you go: make sure you know all of the details about the event — start time, exact location, dress code, directions to get there, etc.
HOW TO ENTER A ROOM
- Have a firm sense of purpose: Don’t hesitate when you enter the room, come in with a sense of purpose. This will help you appear as if you’re “in the know,” while also giving you a chance to survey the room.
- Be on your game the moment you arrive: Judgments are being made about you long before you actually start speaking. Enter the room aware that people will have their eyes on you.
- Enter with a smile: Smiling can make you appear warm and approachable. Don’t walk through like the Cheshire Cat, but even a slight smile will encourage people to interact with you.
- Straighten your posture as you enter: A good posture will convey a sense of confidence. Pull back your shoulders, open your chest and lift your chin slightly.
- Gesticulate as you speak: Gesticulating, especially with a full range of motion, gives you a more dynamic presence. Strangely, studies found that it also cuts down on how many times you say the word “um,” which is a filler word which makes you seem unsure of yourself.
If all of that is too much to remember, the next time you need to enter the room like a boss, just think of this guy and do what he would do.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte just put the SEC on notice. The Longhorns are entering the conference not just to be a member, they’re coming in prepared to dominate.
New Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is just the latest in a string of incredible hires from Del Conte. Schloss arrives fresh off the College World Series finals where he was a few outs away from winning it all.
That is exactly the MO (modus operandi) that Del Conte follows when hiring a new coach. Find someone who is already established and wins a lot … and hire that person.
There is now an elite collection of coaches already in Austin.
Here is every coach Del Conte has assembled since coming to Austin.
TEXAS COACHING HIRES:
Football: Steve Sarkisian
Baseball: Jim Schlossnagle
Men's Basketball: Chris Beard & Rodney Terry
Women's Basketball: Vic Schaeffer
Women’s Golf: Laura Ianello
Beach Volleyball: Stein Metzger
Men's Swimming: Bob Bowman
Men's Tennis: Bruce Berque
Track and Field & Cross Country: Edrick Floréal
Softball: Mike White
Several of those hires, including the new women’s golf coach, Laura Ianello who was hired earlier this month, had already won national championships at their previous school before Del Conte came calling.
“I asked Coach Ianello, our new women’s golf coach, what made her choose to come here and leave her alma mater in Arizona,” Texas President Jay Hartzell said ahead of Schlossnagle’s introduction Wednesday. “Really quickly, she got to the rest of the coaches that we’ve assembled here at our university.
“That’s a credit for the entire athletic department staff, our student athletes and for Chris Del Conte, bringing in such talented leaders of our student athletes together is really making this a special place at a special time.”
Folks, we’re living in the heyday of Texas athletics … and that’s not going to slow down just because UT is now joining the SEC.
The coaches that are leading the majority of the programs are among the elite of the elite in their professions … and Jim Schlossnagle is no different.
Del Conte hired Schlossnagle away from another school (checking notes … ah yes) Texas A&M. Schlossnagle now becomes only the sixth coach to lead UT baseball dating back to 1911.
Billy Disch (1911–1939)
Bibb Falk (1940–1967)
Cliff Gustafson (1968–1996)
Augie Garrido (1997–2016)
David Pierce (2017-2024)
Jim Schlossnagle (2025 -
This hire probably doesn’t happen if Del Conte and Schlossnagle hadn't already established a working relationship when they were both at TCU … a relationship that has blossomed into one where they are now BFF’s.
“There wasn’t anybody at Texas A&M that I couldn’t trust,” said Schlossnagle. “I just know that I could trust Chris and I couldn’t walk away from that.”
Of course, Schloss may not be able to trust everyone at A&M anymore now that he left them for their arch rival.
“If I had left Texas A&M for a job in another part of the country, the interesting messages and text messages probably wouldn’t have happened,” Schlossnagle said, “But I get it.
“You can’t ask for your fan base to support you and be passionate like the 12th Man always has been,” Schlossnagle said understandingly. “And then expect everybody to be ok with a coach leaving for its rival school.”
The importance of that hire isn’t JUST that UT hired away an elite coach from one of its biggest rivals, it is also important because Schloss knows what it will take to win in the SEC.
“Beginning now, we have to prepare to compete in the Major Leagues of college baseball,” Schlossnagle said early on in his introductory press conference Wednesday. “If you’ve never been in SEC baseball, get ready. It is as fun and competitive as it can possibly be.”
You think football in the SEC is going to be competitive? SEC baseball is a whole other level. The Vanderbilt’s and Mississippi State “breathers” you get in football, don’t exist in baseball. Heck, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State have both won the College World Series this decade. Ironically, Pierce might still have his job if UT had beaten Mississippi State in the 2021 season.
“There are now 16 baseball programs in the SEC that are committed at the highest level,” Schlossnagle continued, before adding emphatically. “We will be ready for that.”
TIME TO HIT THE PORTAL
David Pierce is no longer the UT baseball coach, in no small part, because of his inability or unwillingness to be a major player in the transfer portal.
Schlossnagle understands that you can not win in Omaha without utilizing the transfer portal to its fullest extent.
Tennessee doesn’t win without the contributions from transfers.
Where would LSU have been the year before without landing Paul Skenes from Air Force or Tommy White from NC State?
Schloss said he and his staff, which he brought his entire staff with him from College Station, were hitting the phones right after the introductory press conference and lunch.
“We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” Schlossnagle said. “But there is enough time for us to get to, not just the returning players, but incoming players in the portal as well as the high school players that are coming here. We want to get to connect with them very fast.”
Some of the first calls will probably be to some of Schloss’ former players at Texas A&M who were quick to enter the portal after their entire staff left for Austin.
Texas will definitely be going after some or all of these guys.
Jace LaViolette is obviously the crown jewel of the bunch. The outfielder has one more year of college baseball left before he becomes one of the top draft picks in next year’s MLB draft … if not the number one overall pick. He’s that good.
I mentioned in the baseball thread that I wasn’t entirely sure that LaViolette would leave A&M for his final season, and he may still decide to stay. But what I didn’t count on was that with everyone gone, he can now shop his services and get even more NIL money out of his next school. LSU is the betting favorite.
Gavin Grahovac would be the next big get. Texas has a big hole to fill at third base with the departure of Peyton Powell and no obvious replacement. In his freshman season, Grahovac started 67 games and hit .298 with 23 home runs on his way to earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Kaeden Kent would be another obvious target. The Austin native (did you know he’s Jeff Kent’s son?) hit .327 last season.
Sorrell and Lamkin may be in play for UT as well – we’ll just have to wait and see what kind of offers these kids all get before they start to make their decisions.
TIME TO OPEN YOUR WALLET
https://www.quentintarantinofanclub.com/upload/img/08202026174904-bad-mother-****er-wallet.jpg
Texas has struggled to maximize its potential when it comes to NIL benefits for the baseball program.
Not to kick a man when he is down, but I know Pierce struggled to connect with donors. That, combined with the sluggishness surrounding the program, kept many UT fans from opening their wallets.
But those reasons are now gone … as our resident Texas One Fund poster, @AgaveHorn noted immediately after Schloss was hired.
Texas A&M prioritized baseball NIL dollars during Schlossnagle’s tenure and he was able to land players such as Braden Montgomery from Stanford. (Not for nothing, but Montgomery was injured in the Super Regional. Had he been healthy for the CWS, it may have been enough to push A&M over the top.)
“I know Texas A&M was fully committed in that area,” Schlossnagle said. “I know the University of Texas will be fully committed in that area.”
Indeed … new NIL contributions are already coming in … just do Deke a favor and don’t tell his wife.
Before y’all start in with the complaints about NIL and how it’s not like it used to be, just keep reading.
Schlossnagle was quick to point out that NIL is not the end all, be all when it comes to recruiting. Kids still make their decisions based on the same factors that have always impacted college baseball recruiting.
“The NIL stuff kind of puts you in the game, I guess,” said Schlossnagle. “But there’s a lot of people in the game. And once you get in the game, then it actually does, in baseball, boil down to academics, player development and team success.”
Listening to Schlossnagle talk about NIL, he actually sounded a lot like Steve Sarkisian.
Schloss said he has had conversations with players who only wanted to talk about NIL.
“We will not be recruiting those players,” Schlossnagle said. “We get what the game is today, but we want winning players that are winning people that are going to represent this university at the absolute highest level so we can win championships.
“I think it’s about creating a team. You can still do that if you have standards and core values and you still to them. You can still do that in this era.”
Not only does that sound like Sark, I would venture to guess that you would hear a similar refrain from Vic Shaefer, Mike White, Laura Ianello, etc. …
Texas coaches seem united behind the vision athletic director Chris Del Conte has laid out for them. And when UT officially joins the SEC on Monday, they are walking through that door like a boss – ready to dominate.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
Now that the College World Series is over – every NCAA event of the 2023/24 year is officially done. It is time, once again, to look at those Directors Cup standings.
Yep. I’m telling you, Texas is going into the SEC like a boss.
###############################
I already mentioned that Schloss is bring his entire coaching staff with him, but I can’t emphasize enough how big of a deal this is.
This is what I wrote in my “instant analysis" piece after Orangebloods confirmed the Schlossnagle hire.
Pitching coach Max Weiner is an absolute star. Schloss hired him away from the Seattle Mariners where he was the pitching coordinator for four years. In his first season at College Station, the Aggie team ERA dropped from a 5.67 in 2023 to 3.82 in 2024.
“I think just the impact he’s (Weiner) had on everybody, it’s night and day,” Texas A&M pitcher Ryan Prager said. “To do it in one year and build trust with somebody, I think that’s super important, is how quickly you can have somebody trust you and build that relationship. I feel he was able to do that from day one.
“I think that’s truly what’s helped us make some steps forward is that there’s a total buy-in from everybody down there in the bullpen.”
Associate head coach Nolan Cain is the ace recruiter. The former LSU pitcher began his coaching career at his alma mater under head coach Paul Manieri. Cain was able to put together multiple top-5 recruiting classes at Baton Rouge, including a number two ranking by Baseball America in 2020. He has continued to dominate the recruiting trail at A&M pulling in star prospects such as outfielder Jace LaViolette.
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I didn't think much of EA Sports home stadium power rankings, but this feels about right.
The Texas offense is going to hit its strides this season in ways we haven't seen around here since Colt McCoy was under center (not that he actually spent a lot of time under center).
You have to especially be pumped about the offensive line given the notes about Cam Williams that @Anwar Richardson and @Alex Dunlap had this week.
###############################
Good grief. The silly season of conference realignment really doesn't stop.
I’m telling you right now, I know Aggies are upset about Schloss leaving, but they are NEVER leaving the SEC for the Big Ten.
###############################
But tell me again why Notre Dame isn’t in the Big Ten? It not only makes geographical sense (which I know is somewhat irrelevant in a conference that literally stretches from coast to coast, but all of their biggest rivals are in that conference as well.
###############################
We’ve talked a lot about baseball and I want to remind everyone, it IS a contact sport.
Be safe out there.
###############################
And one final A&M dig for y’all on #AggieFactThursday from my boy Kyle Umlang
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