USC won’t bring back head baseball coach

Head baseball coach Dan Hubbs’ contract will not be renewed after it expires at the end of June, Athletic Director Lynn Swann announced Wednesday.

The decision to terminate Hubbs’ contract comes on the heels of a 25-29-1 season for the Trojans. Despite having won 12 national championships in its storied history, USC missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive year and has not had a winning season since 2015.

“I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had here the last seven years,” Hubbs said in a statement.

In 2015, the Trojans went 39-21 and were eliminated in the regional round of the postseason by eventual champion Virginia. But the following season, USC finished at an even 28-28, despite a roster packed with 12 players selected for the 2016 MLB Draft.

USC hasn’t been able to fix its path since, finishing with a losing record in the last three seasons.

“We have a very successful and proud baseball tradition at USC,” Swann said in a statement. “We now look forward to the next chapter of USC baseball under new leadership.”

Swann said that the search for Hubbs’ successor will begin immediately.

In 2013, Hubbs was promoted from associate head coach to head coach of the Trojans squad and has been at the helm since. He served in the role for seven years, compiling a losing 188-200-1 overall record and finishing in the top four of the Pac-12 standings twice.

“We want to thank [Hubbs] for his effort and service,” Swann said. “[Hubbs] is a good man and a good coach, and he always will be a great Trojan. However, we felt that after seven years under [Hubbs], our program needed new leadership and direction.”

Hubbs played for USC as a student. He pitched for the Trojans from 1991 to 1993, amassing a 19-13 record as a pitcher in 81 appearances. Hubbs ranks fourth on the all-time Trojans saves list and played seven years in the minor leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.

“Seeing my players’ success on the field, in the classroom and in their own lives after they left USC was always my greatest reward,” Hubbs said. “I look forward to watching their continued success as I remain part of the Trojan Family.”

Hubbs’ release boiled down to a lack of results on the field for the Trojans over the last few years, especially in 2019. This year, USC’s offense ranked No. 201 in the country in runs scored, featuring just one batter (junior outfielder Matthew Acosta) with a batting average above .300. The pitching staff also put together an underwhelming 4.63 ERA on the season.

The Trojans showed flashes of promise this season, picking up impressive wins over Arkansas, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon State but failed to sustain success over the long run.

USC has won twice as many national championships as any other Division I program but has not reached the College World Series since 2001 and hasn’t hoisted the trophy since 1998.

Swann will try to bring the Trojans back to their winning ways, hoping that the next head coach will be the one to turn the tide for USC.

Article updated on June 4 at 9:00 p.m.