According to reports on Monday, Paul Mainieri, the former LSU baseball coach, is on track to become the next coach at the University of South Carolina. This news comes three years after Mainieri retired as LSU's coach. After accepting the position, Mainieri reached out to his predecessor in Baton Rouge, Jay Johnson, to share the news.

Johnson expressed his congratulations, stating, "He's earned the right in this time in his life to choose what he wants to do. He's a great coach, Hall of Fame coach. And (he's) been very good to me in my time here."

Reports suggest that Terry Rooney, LSU's associate director of program development and recruiting, will be joining Mainieri at South Carolina. Rooney, who served as the LSU pitching coach in 2007-08 under Mainieri, returned to LSU this past season. D1Baseball indicates that Rooney is expected to become Mainieri's pitching coach with the Gamecocks. Prior to LSU, Rooney also worked as Mainieri's pitching coach at Notre Dame for three seasons.

When questioned about Rooney's potential move, Johnson refrained from commenting on other programs, stating, "Terry's a good coach. And it wouldn't surprise me if he had an opportunity for any job. But you know, that's South Carolina's deal. That's not my deal."

Mainieri's tenure at LSU was highly successful, marked by a national championship in 2009 and an impressive 651-285-3 record in Baton Rouge. He led the team to five College World Series appearances, nine super regional appearances, and six SEC tournament championships.

Johnson praised Mainieri, noting, "He's a competitive guy; he's got that fire. He'll put good people around him. He's smart. They'll probably be really good. That's probably what will happen."

South Carolina decided to part ways with coach Mark Kingston after the Gamecocks' elimination from the Raleigh regional earlier this month. They finished the season with a 37-25 record and a 13-17 mark in SEC play.

Interestingly, LSU is scheduled to face South Carolina in Columbia next season, setting up the first matchup between Johnson and Mainieri as opposing coaches.

Addressing rumors about his own coaching future, Johnson denied any contact from the University of Texas, which was speculated by D1Baseball. "I'm very thankful to be here... and excited about where we're headed. It's going to look a little different than maybe I thought 18 months ago, but that's OK," Johnson said.

Johnson emphasized his dedication to LSU and his confidence in helping LSU players achieve success. "I think I'm built for this job incredibly well because you're just going to face a lot of bullets coming at you... I feel like I'm very well positioned to help LSU and players that commit and stay at LSU to be really successful. That's where my focus is."

As Paul Mainieri prepares to embark on his new coaching venture at South Carolina, baseball enthusiasts eagerly await the upcoming season to witness the impact of this seasoned coach in his return to the Southeastern Conference.