TALLAHASSEE – Link Jarrett, a two-time National Coach of the Year at Notre Dame and a 1994 Florida State graduate, was named the 10^th head baseball coach in FSU history Friday by Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford. The Tallahassee native has 10 years of head coaching experience, including the last three at Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to the 2022 College World Series for just the third time in school history.

Jarrett will be formally introduced at a press conference Monday, June 27 at 10:30 a.m. Fans will be able to view a stream of the press conference live on Seminoles.com.

“I think that Link is the finest coach in the game today, and that opinion is held by many in college baseball. We could not be more pleased that he will be leading our program,” said Alford. “He has been a proven winner at each of his coaching stops.

“His teams have not only posted historically successful seasons, but they have also mirrored Link’s tradition of running a first-class program. He is well-known for his record of developing players everywhere he has coached.

“He’s a Seminole through and through and there is no question that he will dedicate himself to the success of our student-athletes and his team. I know he is excited to be returning home and we are just as excited to welcome him and his family.”

Under Jarrett, Notre Dame went 86-32 (.729), the second-best winning percentage in the country in that span. Notre Dame’s 44-21 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference was the best in the league.

Jarrett was the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year and the D1Baseball National Coach of the Year. This season, after leading the Irish to a 41-17 record and a College World Series berth, Jarrett was named the NCBWA Mike Martin Coach of the Year.

“It has been an absolute privilege to represent Notre Dame which truly is one of the finest academic and athletic institutions in the country,” said Jarrett. “I want to thank Father Jenkins, Jack Swarbrick, Jody Sadler and the entire Notre Dame administration for all of their support during my time at Notre Dame. I want to thank all of our student-athletes for their tireless work ethic and dedication to our baseball program. Their accomplishments on and off the field are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. To the entire Notre Dame family and community, thank you for welcoming and supporting my family, you are truly first-class in every manner.

“I’m humbled to become the next Head Coach at Florida State. Having the opportunity to come home and lead this storied program is something I take great pride in. FSU is a special place to our family and I’m excited to be the next leader of Seminole Baseball. Our goals will be simple – to achieve on the field, in the classroom and embrace the FSU family and community. I know the expectations from our fans and we expect to compete for ACC and National Championships.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Link Jarrett back to his alma mater,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “His proven and outstanding track record as a head coach makes him an excellent choice to lead our storied baseball program.”

Jarrett earned his bachelor’s degree in communication from Florida State in 1994. Jarrett and his wife, Jennifer – a former cheerleader at Florida State – have two children, J.T. a five-year baseball starter and 2022 Graduate in Sports Management, Business Leadership Development from NC State and Dawson, currently a junior at the University of Alabama majoring in Apparel and Textiles, Fashion Retailing.

Jarrett’s Career Accolades include:

• Two-time National Coach of the Year at Notre Dame (2021, 2022)
• Three-time conference Coach of the Year (2016 & 2018 at UNC Greensboro; 2021 at Notre Dame)
• 2022 College World Series – only the third in Notre Dame history
• Back-to-back Super Regionals for the first time in Notre Dame history
• Finished 41-17 in 2022, most wins for the Irish since 2006
• 301-198 career record as a Head Coach at UNC Greensboro (2013-19) and Notre Dame (2020-22)
• Jarrett was the head coach at UNC Greensboro for seven years (2013-19), winning Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2016 and 2018. He led the Spartans to the 2017 and 2018 Southern Conference Regular Season Championship as well as the 2017 NCAA Regional, the first for UNCG since 1997.
• Jarrett was an assistant coach at Auburn for three years (2010-12), earning SEC Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2010 the same year Auburn won the SEC West. Jarrett was in charge of the team’s offense and helped the Tigers set school records for batting average (.348), home runs (131) and slugging percentage (.591), the latter two both national bests in NCAA Division I baseball. Auburn’s 816 hits, 584 runs and 9.1 runs per game also finished in the Top 10 in the nation and led the SEC.
• As an assistant at East Carolina from 2006-2009, Jarrett was part of a staff that led the Pirates to 40 wins per season including three NCAA regional appearances highlighted by a 2009 run to the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
• Jarrett was named the 2009 Conference USA Assistant Coach of the Year when the Pirates led the country with 814 hits and were top 20 in runs, doubles, home runs, slugging percentage and batting average.
• Jarrett was the recruiting coordinator for two seasons at Mercer (2004-05) and got his start in college coaching in 1999 at Flagler College in St. Augustine, where he coached for three years.
• Jarrett’s first stint at his alma mater came in 2003 when he was an assistant under Mike Martin. The Seminoles finished the year 54-13-1 and were the ACC regular-season champions and the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA tournament.
• Was a two-time All-American shortstop (1993 and 1994) and was part of Seminole teams that reached three College World Series and he still holds the NCAA record of 802 career assists.

COURTESY FLORIDA STATE ATHLETICS