After 16 seasons at Texas A&M, Rob Childress will not return as head coach

Texas A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork announced on Sunday that head baseball coach Rob Childress would not be offered another contract for next season.

“Coach Childress is a great man and we appreciate his long-term dedication to Texas A&M and for leading our baseball program with class and dignity in every phase,” Bjork said via a press release. “Coach Childress deserves our respect and admiration for how he represented our program, and we wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter. I also want to thank our players for their determination and perseverance during this season with all of the protocols in place.”

Childress' contract expired following a 29-27 campaign in which the Aggies failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Childress's first initial season in 2006 (the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The 2021 Aggies finished 13th in the Southeastern Conference and missed the SEC Tournament for the first time in program history.

In 16 years as the head coach of the Aggies, Childress accumulated 622 wins, won six conference titles and reached two College World Series (2011 & 2017). A&M hosted six NCAA Regionals and two Super Regionals in Bryan-College Station under Childress' leadership. However, the largest knock on the Childress tenure was lack of wins in Omaha for a program many consider a sleeping giant in the college game.

Childress's 622 career victories rank third all-time in Texas A&M history behind Mark Johnson (876) and Tom Chandler (660).

During the Childress era, 73 players signed with MLB organizations. Currently, seven (Michael Wacha, Ross Stripling, Brooks Raley, Tyler Naquin, AJ Minter, Ryan Hendrix, Corbin Martin) Childress products are playing in the big leagues, and his reputation as one of the premier pitching coaches in college baseball is bolstered by the fact that proteges Raley, Alex Wilson, Kyle Martin, Stripling, Wacha, Daniel Mengden, Minter, Martin and Hendrix have taken the mound for major league clubs.

In both 2008 and 2011, Childress was honored as the Big 12’s Coach of the Year, sharing the 2011 award with Texas head coach Augie Garrido. 

Childress was hired after Mark Johnson's departure following the 2005 season. During his 16 seasons in Aggieland, Childress guided Aggie baseball through A&M's move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference, a massive renovation to Olsen Field and elevated A&M to one of the nation’s premier baseball programs.

“In our analysis, we believe the program needs a new voice and a new identity, and our search for the next head coach will begin immediately,” Bjork said. “We, as Aggies, have high expectations for Texas A&M baseball, and we believe this is the best college baseball program in the country and we will attract a great head coach.”

The ensuing coaching search is expected to be national and will begin immediately. Whoever assumes the position will become just the fourth head coach at Texas A&M since 1959 when Tom Chandler took the reins.