Florida State hires Notre Dame coach, ex-Seminole Link Jarrett as baseball coach

TALLAHASSEE — Link Jarrett, who led Notre Dame to the College World Series for the first time in 20 years, is Florida State’s new baseball coach.

Florida State announced the hiring Friday, three days after the Irish’s season ended in the World Series. Jarrett, voted national coach of the year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, is scheduled to be introduced at a news conference Monday.

The move was anticipated. Jarrett is a Tallahassee native, FSU graduate and two-time All-America shortstop for the Seminoles (1993-94) and a former assistant (2003).

“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,” athletic director Mike Alford said. “I know he is excited to be returning home, and we are just as excited to welcome him and his family.”

Said Jarrett: “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.”

Florida State fired Mike Martin Jr. on June 10 after the Seminoles failed to advance out of the NCAA regions for a second straight year. Martin went 77-54 overall in three seasons, and Alford said the program had underachieved.

Jarrett went 86-32 in three seasons at Notre Dame, a .729 winning percentage that was second best in the country.

The Irish were a No. 2 region seed this year and had to travel to Statesboro, Georgia, for region play, where they swept three games before going to Knoxville, Tennessee, and winning a three-game super region against No. 1 national seed Tennessee.

Notre Dame beat Texas in its World Series opener before losses to Oklahoma and Texas A&M ended its season at 41-17.

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