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Duke athletic director Nina King (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
With news that Duke’s Chris Pollard is headed to Virginia, another high-profile college baseball coaching job has been spoken for. And in the process, there’s a new ACC vacancy to be filled in Durham.
The Duke job comes with elevated expectations after Pollard took it to new heights, ending a postseason drought that spanned more than a half century and making the only four super regional appearances in program history, including this year when the Blue Devils were defeated in three games at home by Murray State.
Only two of Pollard’s Duke teams finished their seasons with records below .500 compared to six of the 10 Blue Devil teams prior to his hiring.
Below you’ll find Baseball America’s list of potential Duke coaching candidates based on conversations with sources familiar with the Blue Devils’ search.
Josh Jordan, Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, LSU
Duke has been aware of and preparing for Pollard’s departure ever since former Virginia coach Brian O’Connor left his post for Mississippi State, and Jordan has been target No. 1 from day one, according to multiple sources.
Jordan spent a decade as Pollard’s top assistant in Durham from 2012-22 and was a key piece in the Blue Devils’ rise to national prominence. He’s also been critical to LSU’s recruiting efforts since then, having had a hand in putting together the Tigers’ national title-winning team in 2023. He joined the Duke staff as recruiting coordinator in June 2012 and was promoted to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator by Pollard three years later. In addition to managing Duke’s recruiting activities, Jordan worked with the Blue Devils’ catchers and outfielders, helping to guide them back to the postseason for the first time in over half a century.
Jordan would have to refuse this job not to get it and is the favorite by a wide margin for that reason.
Jim Penders, Head Coach, UConn
Penders and UConn have been inseparable for decades. He played there, coached there, and for the last 21 seasons, he’s been the face of the program.
In that time, UConn has become a model of consistency in cold-weather college baseball, stacking up league championships and postseason trips at a level few northern programs can match. The Huskies have finished atop the Big East standings six times—most recently in four straight seasons—and they’ve…