Louisville baseball's Dan McDonnell remains all in with Cards despite battle for resources
C.L. Brown
Louisville Courier Journal
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...nell-ncaa-changing-landscape-nil/83569798007/
- Louisville baseball is in the bottom half of the ACC when it comes to how much it has spent on its roster.
- Coach Dan McDonnell has been to five College World Series with Louisville, but he believes it's becoming tougher for schools that don't outlandishly spend on their programs to reach Omaha.
That’s why it couldn’t be Howard Schnellenberger, because while the Cardinals didn't have a conference home at the time, he still had considerable backing.
That’s why it couldn’t be Denny Crum or Rick Pitino, either, because basketball has always been the flagship program of the department.
McDonnell, the longest-tenured coach in U of L's athletics department, has carried the Cards to five College World Series appearances thanks to his ability to compose the maximum of 11.7 scholarships offered in baseball into a winning melody.
U of L lost to Pitt 13-11 in the ACC Tournament on Tuesday but will be headed to its 14th NCAA Tournament regional appearance in McDonnell's 19 seasons at the helm.
Even with his track record of turning Louisville baseball into a national power, McDonnell is concerned the amount of money put into players might be the only way to determine what teams advance in the postseason.
“We'll outwork, we'll outhustle, we'll outsmart, we'll outtough, we'll outgrind as much as we can,” McDonnell said. “But, at the end of the day, it takes others wanting to win as much as I want to win, and that's been a challenge just with all that's going on the past several years.”
It will only get more challenging.
When the House v. NCAA settlement is finalized and baseball can be fully funded for 34 scholarships, there will be a big split between the schools that are fully invested in the program and those that are just fielding a team.
The Cards are at a bit of a crossroads now, with name, image and likeness and the potential settlement possibly putting them at a monstrous disadvantage in the amount spent on baseball.
They’re in the bottom half of the ACC in spending now.
“We’ve built something special here,” McDonnell said. “And we don’t ever think we’re going to be the Yankees or the Dodgers or the Phillies or the Mets. But like I’ve said publicly, I don’t want to be the Oakland A's.”
There are way more programs like the A’s in college baseball than like the Yankees. A caste system is emerging right down to the programs with more financial resources swooping down to snatch the best players off teams that can’t match offers.
McDonnell warned freshman pitcher/first baseman Tague Davis in the fall that he’d face those pressures. And with the season he’s had, leading the team and tied atop the ACC with 18 home runs, offers have been floated his way.
NIL and the transfer portal have brought big changes in how players are recruited and retained. The vicissitudes have caused many a veteran coach to call it quits rather than deal with the new way of doing things.
Add to the fact that U of L, despite a $3 million lead gift, and an announcement in 2021 of plans to build a new indoor baseball facility, it’s still in a holding pattern with no tangible date to break ground in sight.
McDonnell would be well justified if he decided he’d run out of bandwidth to fight those battles for the program. On the contrary, McDonnell is still entrenched.
“It’s very obvious how much I love the university, how much my wife and I love the city of Louisville,” McDonnell said. “We signed the type of contract to end our career here, and I hope I can be here another 5-10 years or however long they’ll have me.”
He’s not trying to leave for another school, which he’s had ample opportunities to do during his tenure, including two years ago when Alabama was interested.
He’s not trying to leave the sport, regardless of the outlaw nature of operating in today’s NIL space.
He’s still trying to make it happen.
