The University of South Carolina has officially named Ray Tanner Field at Founders Park, the home of Gamecock baseball, after Ray Tanner on Feb. 15. This marks the first former South Carolina coach or athlete to be mentioned in the name of a sporting complex.
Tanner is a former South Carolina baseball head coach from 1997-2012 and University of South Carolina athletic director from 2012-2024.
South Carolina baseball head coach Paul Mainieri said Tanner has approached the name change with a humble mindset.
Tanner said he even tried to put a stop to the field dedication years ago while he was serving as USC's Athletics Director. He credits the coaching work of Bobby Richardson and June Reigns for setting the foundation of South Carolina baseball.
“I know that it's a great honor, and I’m humbled, but it's not about me,” Tanner said. “I’m just the guy that was driving the bus at a good time.”
Saturday’s pregame ceremony that announced the introduction of Ray Tanner Field was filled with former Gamecock baseball players and friends of the legendary coach.
Success at the helm
In his 16 seasons as South Carolina baseball’s head coach, Tanner led the Gamecocks to six College World Series appearances, cementing South Carolina as the sixth ever program to win back-to-back NCAA championships in 2010 and 2011. Tanner led South Carolina to 14 NCAA Tournaments, while winning three SEC regular season championships and six SEC East Division titles in the process.
Tanner also coached South Carolina during the program's 22-game NCAA Tournament and 12-game College World Series win streaks, as they remain the longest in NCAA history. Tanner finished his coaching career with a 738-316 record (.700).
“This is such a special weekend for me personally,” Mainieri said. “I told Ray (Tanner) this the other night how proud I will be every day of my coaching career here at South Carolina to go work on a field named after him.”
FILE — A view of the field behind home plate at Founders Park after a game on Feb. 15, 2025. The field was recently dedicated to Ray Tanner, after a long career at South Carolina as a baseball coach and athletic director.
The two coaches said they hold a lot of mutual respect between each other, as they have similar qualities and parallel coaching careers. Mainieri and Tanner faced off multiple times throughout their careers at LSU and South Carolina, respectively, and Mainieri said Tanner constructed a model program out of the Gamecocks during his coaching tenure.
“He and I had very similar qualities as coaches, we expected a lot out of our players,” Mainieri said. “But I think he did it with a loving heart, and I tried to do it the same way.”
Tanner was awarded as a three-time National Coach of the Year (2000, 2010, 2011) and SEC Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2011).
Built this place from the ground-up
Back in 2009 when then-Founders Park was built, Tanner had a significant role in how the stadium was designed and constructed. Tanner said the foundation of now-Ray Tanner Field was inspired by numerous ballparks and their features, including Arkansas’ batter's eye and concourse, Omaha Rosenblatt Stadium’s left field seats and Camden Yards' right field.
Tanner said he wanted fans to be able completely walk all around the ballpark, and he precisely copied the exact distance fans were from the first and third base foul lines at Sarge Frye Field, the home of Gamecock baseball until the 2008 season.
“Building this stadium was an absolute rush,” Tanner said. “I was here almost every morning with a hard hat and a gator ... It was a blast, it was fun.”
Tanner said he was thrilled with the speedy 13-month construction process of the stadium, and he was able to lead South Carolina to two national championships with Founders Park being its home.
“From the moment you (Tanner) stepped on to this campus, you knew how special it could be,” former South Carolina announcer Mike Morgan said. “You had a vision, not just of wins, but winning culture. And today, we’re here to honor that vision turned undeniable reality.”
Post-coaching career
During Tanner’s 12-year tenure as South Carolina’s Athletic Director, the Gamecocks have won four national championships, including 2015 equestrian and women's basketball in 2017, 2022 and 2024. The Gamecocks have also taken home 21 SEC regular season and tournament titles during his time.
Tanner has also contributed to tremendous student-athlete success off the field. In 2014, South Carolina became the first school in the SEC to offer four-year scholarships to its student athletes who played the qualified sports. Additionally, since 2015, University of South Carolina athletes have earned more SEC Academic Honor Rolls than any other school in the conference.
Since stepping down from his athletics director role in September 2024, Tanner has gained a new role as the athletics director emeritus and senior advisor to the USC President, Michael Amiridis. Tanner’s new position focuses on fundraising and community engagement.
Since his retirement from coaching, Tanner has been inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.