Jay Johnson addresses MLB rumors, emphasizing his current dedication to the LSU Tigers. However, his clarification of "at this time" leaves Tigers fans with lingering questions.
The LSU Tigers have enjoyed having one of the best coaches in college baseball since Jay Johnson came to town, but could they soon fall victim to the same fate that met the Tennessee Volunteers when Tony Vitello left for the San Francisco Giants?
Johnson was asked about it when talking to the media. While his answer showed commitment to the Tigers in the short term, it certainly didn't rest the nerves of LSU fans.
"Right now, I have zero interest in [coaching in MLB]. Now, that's at this time,' said Johnson per video from WAFB's John Eads. "I haven't been offered an MLB job, is what I'll say. I'm fully into this, and there's a lot we need to do to be the best we can be and I want to be the best program in the country forever."
Overall, Johnson seems to think that it is cool that Vitello jumped immediately from the college game to the Majors. He's the first coach to ever do it, so it makes sense that other top college coaches would be paying attention to see if it is viable.
"I'm very interested to see how it goes. It's a completely different game, though," said Johnson before stating that the difference is far greater than college football and the NFL. "The Ivy League is taking over baseball. The general managers at the top, a lot of times, make the lineup and the pitching decisions. You can ask Jake Brown how Coach Johnson would feel if someone was telling him what lineup we were playing."
There are far different responsibilities for head coaches at each of the levels. Johnsons seems like someone more fit for the college level. There's a reason that the straight transition has only happened once before, despite there being many great college coaches.
One major difference that has already reared its head for Vitello in the MLB is that he is coaching adults. Not college kids who are still growing up and looking for that guidance. The former Volunteers coach has already admitted to coaching his players the wrong way, using a self-described "fire and brimstone" approach.
Managing those relationships is just one way that the job can be completely different and take different styles to find success.
Johnson is a great coach and will certainly have any suitors over the next few years. Barring a miracle run for the Giants and Vitello, I wouldn't expect the MLB to be calling right away. Even if they do, he might not answer. Anything can happen in baseball, though.