Every college baseball coach dreams of having his jersey retired. Last week, LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri’s dream came true, as his St. Thomas University jersey was retired last Tuesday night prior to STU’s 2012 season opener versus Florida Memorial. 

The first stop in his storied coaching career, Mainieri coached the St. Thomas baseball team from 1983-88, posting a 179-121-2 record. At the conclusion of his tenure, Mainieri was the winningest coach in STU history

Mainieri, who wore jersey No. 1, is already a member of the St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame and was voted the 1984 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year. His ‘84 team established a school record with 37 wins, while the 1987 team led the nation with a .340 team batting average.

Mainieri is a St. Thomas alumnus, having graduated in 1982 with a Master’s of Science in Sports Administration.  He also served as athletic director and as an adjunct professor while he was the STU baseball coach. For his career, Mainieri has won 1,039 games, including 175 wins at LSU.

The Mainieri File

• M.S. Sports Administration, Class of 1982
• Head Baseball Coach, St. Thomas University, 1983-88
• Director of Athletics, St. Thomas University, 1986-88
• Career Record at STU (6 seasons): 179-121-2 (.596)
• Overall Career Record: 1039-576-7 (.643, 28 seasons)
• Winningest Coach in St. Thomas history
• Set school record with 37 wins in 1984
• Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year, 1984
• Team led nation with .340 team batting avg., 1987
• Four of six Bobcat teams ranked in NCAA DII top-ten
• Bobcat teams averaged over 30 wins per season
• 15 Bobcat players entered pro baseball
• 2008, 2009 National Coach of the Year
• 2009 LSU team won College World Series