Revealing the aftermath of an SEC coach's shocking dismissal
By Baron Dionis
![Vanderbilt v South Carolina Vanderbilt v South Carolina](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3977,h_2237,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/356/01hzftx0zkfn6zj3hdbf.jpg)
The South Carolina Gamecocks took a step back in 2024 after a very great season in 2023. In response to their mediocre season, South Carolina decided to fire head coach, Mark Kingston, after seven seasons with the program.
Why did the South Carolina Gamecocks fire Mark Kingston?
Kingston wasn’t a bad coach, but he just wasn’t very successful in conference play. His all time record with the Gamecocks was 217-155, which is very impressive, but his conference record of 83-96 is what looks bad for him.
How many NCAA tournament appearances did Mark Kingston have?
They made it to four NCAA Tournaments under Kingston and made it to two Super Regionals, but lost each time. These Super Regional appearances came in 2018, his first season with the program, and in 2023.
The highest they finished in the SEC East under Kingston was third place in 2018 and 2023.
2024 was ultimately the season where South Carolina believed that it was time to move on. In 2024, the Gamecocks went 37-25 with a conference record of 13-17. They went 3-2 in the SEC Tournament to find a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
They made it to the Raleigh Regional and faced off against James Madison in game one. They won 8-7, but lost to NC State in the next game. This set them up for a rematch against James Madison and the Gamecocks were knocked out of the tournament with a shutout loss.
That shutout loss was the last game Kingston would manage as the head coach at South Carolina.
Who will replace Mark Kingston as head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks?
Dukes head baseball coach stands out as an early candidate to become the new head coach at South Carolina. Chris Pollard is a very good coach and led the Blue Devils to a 40-19 record in 2024.
Only time will tell for who will be leading the Gamecocks in 2025. Pollard is definitely an early candidate.