A look at notable coaching moves to rivals in their own state

It’s safe to assume that Jim Schlossnagle won’t be receiving a warm welcome in College Station any time soon.

Less than 24 hours after Texas A&M lost the College World Series final, the veteran coach made a huge splash by taking on a new job. He moved from A&M to Texas, which was another successful coup for UT athletic director Chris Del Conte.

With Schlossnagle’s recent move in mind, here’s a look at some of the most notable coaching departures to in-state rivals:

Chris Beard to Texas (2021)

This list begins with Beard’s Big 12 transfer from Texas Tech to Texas in 2021. After helping the Red Raiders to unprecedented heights with nine NCAA tournament appearances and a national title game appearance, Beard abruptly returned to his alma mater.

Like Schlossnagle, Beard was hired by Del Conte at UT.

To convince Beard, the Texas athletic director took an early morning flight to the town of Plainview, Texas. While eating a McDonald’s breakfast in Del Conte’s room at the Comfort Suites, the two talked about the Longhorns for three and a half hours.

After their conversation, Del Conte got his man. Beard took over Texas before the 2021-22 season and spent nearly two seasons in Austin. Despite a 29-13 record at the helm, Beard was fired in 2023 when he was accused of assaulting his fiancée.

From the Dana Bible to Texas (1937)

Unlike Beard and Schlossnagle, Bible did not transfer directly from one rival school to another.

Bible began coaching at Texas A&M in 1917, leading the Aggies to an 8-0 record and outscoring opponents 270-0. After serving in World War I the following year, Bible continued his winning streak in College Station.

As head of the football program from 1919 to 1928, Bible posted a record of 72-19-9 and was named national champion in the 1917, 1919 and 1927 seasons. He coached at Nebraska from 1929 to 1936 before returning to UT in the state.

In Austin, Bible led the Longhorns to a 61-31-3 record and helped the team become a heavyweight team in the Southwest Conference from 1937 to 1946.

Jim Schlossnagle to Texas A&M (2021)

This is not Schlossnagle’s first move within the state during his coaching career.

Before landing in College Station, he spent 18 seasons at TCU. Schlossnagle led the Horned Frogs to five College World Series and posted a 734-346 record in Fort Worth.

With a vision to help the A&M baseball program gain national prominence, then-athletic director Ross Bjork approached Schlossnagle in 2021.

“When we began our coaching search, we made sure to cover all of our bases in Texas and across the country by looking far and wide to find the right coach for Texas A&M baseball,” Bjork said in a statement. “As our search progressed, it became abundantly clear that Jim Schlossnagle has the experience, recruiting acumen, player development background and baseball knowledge to deliver a championship-ready program for Aggie baseball.

“He has the best winning percentage of any college baseball program in Texas over the last 10 years, and his track record nationally speaks for itself. Texas A&M deserves to have the very best, and we’ve hit a proverbial ‘Grand Slam’ with Coach Schlossnagle.”

Sonny Dykes to TCU (2021)

A well-known rivalry in North Texas intensified after Dykes decided to move its location from Dallas to Fort Worth.

After four years at SMU, Dykes took over the vacant job as head coach of TCU’s football team in 2021. Dykes replaced Gary Patterson, who coached the Horned Frogs for 21 seasons and led the program into the Big 12.

In his first season at TCU, Dykes led the team to a 13-2 record and its first College Football Playoff appearance. After defeating No. 2 Michigan in the CFP semifinals, the Horned Frogs suffered a decisive loss to Georgia in the national title game.

Since leaving SMU, Dykes has seen what it’s like on the other side of the long-standing rivalry. In August 2023, he stirred tempers a bit when asked what TCU gets out of putting the Iron Skillet rivalry game on pause.

“If we’re going to talk like we’re a big-time football program,” Dykes said, “we have to act like we’re a big-time football program, and that includes having (more) home games.”

David McWilliams to Texas (1987)

After spending 16 years as an assistant at Texas, McWilliams got his first head coaching job at Texas Tech in 1986. His first season in Lubbock was promising, leading the Red Raiders to a 7-4 record and a bowl appearance. They even beat Texas.

His tenure in West Texas did not last long, however. In 1987, McWilliams was hired as head coach of the Longhorns, marking his return to his alma mater.

The Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington called the move “logical” since McWilliams had spent most of his adult life in Austin. McWilliams coached Texas through the 1991 season, compiling a 31-26 record.

Tom Herman to Texas (2016)

Herman was a former assistant on the Texas football team and secured his first Power Five coaching job in 2016. The Longhorns hired Herman after a successful stint in Houston, where he led the Cougars to a 22-4 record.

Herman took over after Charlie Strong struggled in Austin, finishing 16-21. Before taking the Texas job, Herman was reportedly close to taking the job at LSU.

He led Texas to a 32-18 record before the university took a different direction in 2021.

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