LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson finds himself in a similar position as the Tigers prepare for Coastal Carolina in the national championship series.
Johnson, who is making his third College World Series finals appearance — and second with LSU — will face the Chanticleers for the second time in those three tries, dating back to his first appearance during his Arizona tenure.
And Johnson will also coach against first-year coach Kevin Schnall, who was the associate head coach under then-head coach Gary Gilmore, when Coastal Carolina won the 2016 national championship over Johnson and the Wildcats.
Ironically, Coastal Carolina also had to beat LSU twice in 2016 to reach the national championship, back when Paul Mainieri was at the helm. The Chanticleers came away with two wins (11-8, 4-3) in the Baton Rouge Super Regional to end the season for LSU.
Here’s what to know of Johnson’s connections to Coastal Carolina, LSU’s College World Series finals opponent in 2025:
Jay Johnson facing Coastal Carolina again
Johnson will look to get revenge against Coastal Carolina, which played spoiler against Johnson in the 2016 national championship in his first season at Arizona.
The Wildcats won Game 1 of the three-game national championship series before dropping back-to-back games to the Chanticleers to finish as the runner-up. Johnson, who’s well-aware of Coastal Carolina’s program, isn’t taking it lightly heading into the national championship.
Jay Johnson is here again…. vs Coastal Carolina. pic.twitter.com/1zAbl1yjZ7
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) June 19, 2025
“This is one of the best programs in the sport,” Johnson told reporters on June 19. “For a long time. We’re not talking about now, or even the ’90s or when they won it in 2016. Long before that. As I’m trying to build my coaching career, I’m paying attention to Skip Bertman, Augie Garrido, Mike Gillespie, I was also paying attention to (Coastal Carolina’s) Gary Gilmore. He’s a phenomenal coach.
“Obviously, known Kevin (Schnall) forever. Out on the recruiting trail with him as a friend, (figuring out) how he worked and I mean, very impressive. To me, if there’s one that can continue to do it and match up and compete, it’s Coastal Carolina.”
Johnson, who said he considers Schnall a friend, said Coastal Carolina has a similar identity in 2016 to what they have now. That goes back to Schnall, a longtime assistant, taking over for Gilmore, who led the program from 1996-2024.
“You have to win the game against them,” Johnson said. “They’re not going to give you the game based on the way that they play. Their pitchers throw strikes. They don’t give away a lot. They play really sound defense. They do a great job of getting the leadoff man on, they do a great job of running the bases. They do a great job in the bunting game.
“And those are program traits. Listening to Gary Gilmore talk about bunting in like, 2008 or 2009, and like, ‘Wow, no wonder they’re better at it than everybody else.'” … They do things right. That was clearly the case, it’s always been the case, and it’s the case now. That would be the similarities.”
Former LSU star Kramer Robertson, the son of LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, played for the Tigers in 2016 when they fell in back-to-back games to Coastal Carolina to end the season. He recently asked for a favor of the current LSU team on social media, as the Tigers and Johnson look for revenge.
I’m asking for a favor… @LSUbaseballhttps://t.co/t2HszMFBdk
— Kramer Robertson (@KramerR3) June 19, 2025
“I’m an LSU fan,” LSU sophomore ace Kade Anderson told reporters on Thursday. “I remember the play in the back of my head. Groundball over third base. I know Kramer (Robertson) was at shortstop, all those guys, Greg Deichmann. I grew up watching those guys play.
“It’s pretty crazy going into this opportunity. I saw Kramer’s tweet, so this is pretty special.”
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Jay Johnson vs Coastal Carolina: LSU coach set for CWS finals rematch
