USF baseball coaching search: Four potential candidates to look at

*USF baseball assistant coach Chris Cates (pictured) rejoined the Bulls in 2023 after spending three seasons at UCF. USF ATHLETICS PHOTO*

USF Athletics Director Michael Kelly finds himself yet again on another coaching hunt for USF.

After hiring new coaches for the football and basketball programs in the last two years, he will have to do the same for Bulls baseball.

Head coach Billy Mohl was dismissed from his role on May 20 after a third consecutive losing season. The Bulls finished second-to-last in the conference and failed to make the American Conference tournament.

In their first seasons at USF, football head coach Alex Golesh led USF to its first bowl win since 2017, while basketball head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim guided the Bulls to a school-record 25 wins.

With such early success coming from the previous coaching hires, Kelly faces a challenge of finding leadership who can do the same for the baseball program and bring USF back to a top AAC team.

Here are a few candidates that could be considered for the Bulls’ coaching vacancy.

Chris Cates – USF Assistant Coach

Kelly may decide to hire in-house to replace Mohl. USF assistant coach Chris Cates is a potential name to look for.

Cates returned to USF in July 2023 after a previous tenure from 2015-2019. He spent the previous three seasons serving as an assistant coach at UCF.

In his first season back with the Bulls, the former minor league all-star helped elevate the Bulls’ offense.

USF improved in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage and stolen bases under Cate’s leadership this season in 2024. Its 86 bases stolen ranked top 50 in the nation, and was a substantial improvement from just 39 in 2023.

The Bulls made three NCAA regional appearances in Cate’s previous tenure. The assistant coach worked with multiple future MLB draft picks, including 2017 Oakland Athletics first-round pick Kevin Merrell.

Kelly could consider any of these four candidates, and many more as he seeks to fill the coaching vacancy by the team’s next season.

USF fans will be sure to look out for who earns the chance to restore glory back to Bulls baseball.

Joe Urso – University of Tampa Head Coach

University of Tampa head coach Joe Urso may be one of the most coveted candidates for coaching vacancies across college baseball. The Tampa native has built arguably one of the most impressive resumes for any college baseball coach.

Now in his 24th season at Tampa, Urso has done more than his fair share of winning with the program. He picked up his 1000th win on May 17 against Lee University, and boasts a career 77% winning percentage.

Urso also has proven to be a winner in the postseason, coaching the Division II Spartans to 10 NCAA Super Regional appearances, as well as five national championships.

With a long tenure at Tampa, it may be difficult to lure Urso away from the Spartans. Kelly will be tasked with creating a compelling offer if he chooses to target him in his coaching search.

Mike Silva – Nicholls State University Head Coach

Another potential coaching candidate on USF’s radar may be Nicholls State University’s Mike Silva.

In his three years with the Colonels, Silva has turned the team into a Southland Conference powerhouse.

In only his second season at Nicholls, the former college catcher led the team to a 34-24 regular season record in 2023, including a win against the eventual NCAA champion No.1 LSU.

Silva also captured the conference title that year, as well as earning a berth in the NCAA regionals.

Silva’s success has carried over into the current 2024 season, with his Colonels improving on the previous regular season record, finishing 38-20. Nicholls College also became back-to-back winners of the Southland conference championship, as well as gaining another NCAA regional appearance.

If Silva is to become coach Mohls successor, Bulls fans will hope for the same speedy turnaround he showcased at Nicholls.

Ryan Coe – Kennesaw State University Head Coach

Kelly may look toward a familiar program from his last hiring to fill the coaching vacancy.

After hiring Kennesaw’s men’s basketball coach Abdur-Rahim in 2023, its baseball coach Ryan Coe may be the latest Owl to become a Bull.

Coe wasted no time establishing himself as a winner at Kennesaw upon his hiring in 2022. In just his first season, he led the program to a 36-28 record and an Atlantic Sun Conference championship.

Coe has also shown the ability to win big games during his time at Kennesaw. In 2024, the Owls scored two wins against top 25 teams, including an 18-1 dismantling of No.10 LSU.

If Coe is the man for the job, Bulls fans will be eager to see if he can replicate his success in key matchups for USF.