LSU is looking for a new baseball coach now that Paul Mainieri announced he will be retiring after this season. The LSU program is one of the strongest in the country, so the Tigers will be looking for a big-time coach. Pat Casey is available and highly qualified, so it makes sense that he is being considered. But there is much more to the situation.
On Wednesday, D1Baseball.com’s Kendall Rogers reported that Casey had emerged as a leading candidate for the LSU job.
COACHING SCOOP: Multiple sources have informed @d1baseball that former @BeaverBaseball legendary coach Pat Casey has emerged as the leading candidate for the @LSUbaseball head coaching job. More could be coming on this very soon. #GeauxTigers #LSU
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 9, 2021
The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La. responded the next day with a report saying Casey’s hiring was unlikely.
Despite The Advocate’s report, Rogers insists that Casey’s candidacy is legitimate. He says that Casey wouldn’t have flown to Baton Rouge if the situation weren’t serious. Rogers also suggested LSU was testing fan reaction to the idea of Casey being hired.
1) Never said Pat Casey was a done deal to LSU, far from it, actually . 2) Notice no one from LSU disputed that report yesterday. 3) Things can change — especially if there’s outrage (see my mentions re: Casey). https://t.co/r4quhGpQ1b
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 11, 2021
Why would LSU be testing out fan reaction to Casey?
You may recall that the 62-year-old retired after Oregon State won the College World Series in 2018. Casey was extremely successful at Oregon State, building them into a powerhouse and winning three championships. However, his legacy became complicated over his defense of Luke Heimlich. News became public in 2018 that Heimlich was a child molester. Heimlich denied the charge and said he only admitted to the allegation for legal purposes. Not only did Casey stand by Heimlich, but he also rode one of his pitchers into the ground while winning the championship.
Absent the Heimlich situation, Casey would likely still be coaching Oregon State. Because of it, he has not coached since. That would explain why LSU might be testing the reactions to the news before hiring a controversial figure like him. They don’t want to have this kind of situation unfold.
