On Wednesday, April 1, LSU head coach Jay Johnson spoke at a press conference before the Tigers’ weekend series against the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville.
Johnson talked about his interest in taking a Major League Baseball job in the future.
“I have zero interest in that at this time,” Johnson said. “Now, that is at this time. I will say that I have not been offered an MLB job.”
Johnson reiterated that he is fully invested in his position as the head coach of the LSU Tigers.
“I’m fully into this,” Johnson said. “There is a lot that we need to do to be the best we can be. We want to be the best program in the country forever.”
In 2025, Johnson won his second national championship with LSU after leading the Tigers to a 53-13 overall record. LSU has also made the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons under Johnson’s direction.
Johnson also won the National Coach of the Year award in 2023 and 2025.
Johnson is following Tony Vitello’s first season as San Francisco Manager
With LSU playing Tennessee this weekend, it will be the first time that Johnson has faced off against the Volunteers without Tony Vitello standing in the other dugout.
Vitello is in the midst of his first season as the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Johnson, who is a native of Northern California, grew up as a fan of the Giants.
The LSU head coach talked about his perspective on Vitello managing an MLB team straight out of the college ranks.
“I think it is cool and awesome,” Johnson said. “I’m following it closely. I am very interested in how it goes.”
Johnson also talked about the challenges that arise from making a direct coaching move from college baseball to the MLB.
“It is a completely different game and a different world,” the LSU head coach said.
Up next for LSU
The LSU Tigers have a 20-10 overall record. They are 4-5 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play this season.
Their first game against the Tennessee Volunteers is on Thursday, April 2. The first pitch at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville is at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The game is on SEC Network.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: LSU head coach Jay Johnson gives a thumbs up during an NCAA baseball game against Kentucky on Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
