A top target has emerged in Alabama baseball’s search for a new permanent head coach. According to multiple sources, Maryland’s Rob Vaughn is the most likely successor to Brad Bohanon, who was fired last month for his role in a betting scandal involving the Crimson Tide.
Vaughn, 35, has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year the past two seasons. He has led Maryland to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. This season, Maryland finished 42-21, winning the Big Ten conference tournament before advancing to the Winston-Salem Regional. Last year, Vaugh led Maryland to a school-record 48 wins, helping the Terrapins host an NCAA regional for the first time in program history.
In his six seasons as Maryland’s head coach, Vaughn has compiled a 183-115 record, including an 84-54 mark in conference play. Before serving as the Terrapins head coach, he spent five years as an assistant with the program. The former Kansas State catcher began his coaching career with his alma mater, serving as an assistant for the Wildcats from 2012-13.
Last year, Vaughn signed a contract extension with Maryland, running his deal through the 2027 season. His current contract pays him a $300,000 base salary as well as $150,000 in supplemental annual income. According to sources, Vaughn is expected to make somewhere between $600,000 and $750,000 if he’s hired by Alabama.
As of now, no deal has been reached between Vaughn and Alabama. The Crimson Tide is currently being managed by interim head coach Jason Jackson, who has led the team to a 13-4 record since his promotion. Hosting an NCAA regional for the first time since 2006, Alabama (43-19) won all three of its games this weekend, advancing to its first super regional since 2010. It’s still possible that Tide’s run under Jackson could see the interim manager land the full-time role.
“He's been a good coach for a long period of time, and everybody respects him,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said during last month’s SEC Tournament. “And when he's got his opportunity, I think there's enough maturity there that he's handled himself with. As a coach that's been in this league a long time, we absolutely respect people that handle themselves very well, and he's done an amazing job.”
No. 16 overall seed Alabama will face No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest this weekend in the Winston-Salem Super Regional. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.