LSU associated head coach Terry Rooney will be named head coach at Central Florida, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday night. LSU team spokesman Bill Franques could not confirm the reports Wednesday night but said he knew Rooney had been interviewed and knew Rooney was one of four candidates for the vacancy. Mainieri told The Daily Reveille late Wednesday that he expected an official announcement to be made some time this morning. Mainieri said Rooney would still be able to coach with LSU in the College World Series if he is hired by Central Florida. “If he gets the job, it would affect his job with us in no way whatsoever … like Bo Pelini,” Mainieri said. Pelini, LSU’s former defensive coordinator, was hired as Nebraska’s head football coach in December, a month before coaching the Tigers to a Bowl Championship Series title. Rooney has been with Mainieri since the fall of 2003, when Mainieri was head coach at Notre Dame. He serves as LSU’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Rooney was promoted to associate head coach in July 2007. His 2007 recruiting class was ranked No.1 by Collegiate Baseball magazine. Seven members of the class are now starters for LSU, including junior pitchers Jordan Brown and Ryan Verdugo. Former Central Florida coach Jay Bergman was fired in March for allegedly sexually harassing an equipment manager. He posted a 994-594-3 record in 26 seasons with the Knights, and Central Florida’s baseball stadium is named in his honor. Bergman also coached Florida for six years, winning the Southeastern Conference championship in 1981. Mainieri called the Central Florida job an “awesome opportunity” and said Rooney is a “very strong candidate” for the position. “He should be tremendously honored he’s being considered,” Mainieri said. “He would be a tremendous choice. If he gets it, he would have my full blessing.” Mainieri called Central Florida a “sleeping giant” in college baseball. “It would be the [Cal State] Fullerton of the east coast,” Mainieri said. Four of Mainieri’s former assistants are current head coaches – David Grewe at Michigan State, Corey Mee at Toledo, Brian O’Connor at Virginia and Dave Schrage at Notre Dame. “It’s a great feeling that you maybe had something to do with his development,” Mainieri said. “It’s the same kind of feeling you get when one of your former players makes it to the major leagues.”
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