Mark Kingston will officially lead South Carolina baseball in 2018 as the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a six-year contract for the former University of South Florida head coach Friday morning.
Reports that Kingston would be USC baseball's new head coach began to circulate yesterday, culminating in the board calling for a Friday morning meeting to discuss "proposed athletics department contracts." A board member reportedly informed The State that the hiring of a new baseball coach would be the focus of the meeting.
"I continue to be impressed with his ability, that he is so well-rounded to handle the challenges and meet the expectations that we have here at the University of South Carolina," said athletic director Ray Tanner Friday morning.
Per his contract, Kingston will receive a base salary of $475,000 per year through 2023, more than triple the base of $140,000 he earned during his three years as head coach at USF. Additionally, Kingston will receive $125,000 per year for "media/personal services compensation," bringing his annual salary to $600,000.
The contract also makes significant room for performance-linked incentives, including $10,000 for a team Academic Progress Rate between 975 and 1000, $15,000 for an SEC Tournament title and $80,000 for a national championship.
USC's baseball team achieved a perfect APR of 1000 under former head coach Chad Holbrook in 2017.
USC has agreed to pay USF $150,000 to buy out the remainder of the six-year contract Kingston signed in 2014. Tanner called for a Friday afternoon press conference to introduce Kingston at Williams-Brice Stadium.