University of South Florida head coach Mark Kingston will take the helm of Gamecocks baseball in 2018, according to reports made Thursday afternoon.
Sports anchor Dan Lucas of Tampa NBC affiliate WFLA-TV tweeted Thursday afternoon that Kingston would take the job vacated by Chad Holbrook on June 6. Radio host Heath Cline of Columbia's 107.5 The Game tweeted shortly after that he had received confirmation of Lucas' report from "an SC source."
Kingston has a career record of 273-180-1 in his eight seasons as a head coach at Illinois State (2010-14) and USF (2015-17) and led the Bulls to an NCAA Regional appearance earlier this month. USF amassed a 42-19 record in 2017, including a 19-game winning streak in February and March, to achieve the program's first 40-win season since 1996.
Kingston's Bulls defeated Bethune-Cookman 9-1 in their first game of the NCAA Regional on June 2 before losing to eventual national champion Florida 5-1 in extra innings the next day. Bethune-Cookman eliminated USF from the regional, 6-4, on June 6.
USC's Board of Trustees has called a meeting Friday morning at 9 a.m. to discuss, among other things, "proposed athletics department contracts." A board member reportedly told The State that the hiring of a new baseball coach will be involved.