Tracy Smith will not return as Arizona State’s baseball coach next season

Arizona State and Athletic Director Ray Anderson announced on Monday that Tracy Smith will not return as the head baseball coach. Jacob Rudner of Sun Devil Source was the first to break the story.

Anderson released this statement:

“After speaking with Tracy Smith this afternoon, we have decided by mutual agreement that Coach Smith will not return as the head coach for Sun Devil Baseball next season. Decisions like this are never easy to make, but I want to thank Tracy for his efforts over the last seven years. We are committed to returning Sun Devil baseball back to one of the country’s elite programs and will look for a leader who can help us compete for Pac-12 titles, consistently host postseason competitions and return us to the College World Series. We will begin a search for a new head coach immediately, and will be deliberate in securing a leader that is the best fit for the program and our university.”

In seven seasons, Smith had a 201-155 record that included four regional appearances. After being eliminated in the Austin Regional, Arizona State hasn’t made a super regional for 10 years now, the longest drought in program history.

Smith had the lowest winning percentage among the five ASU baseball head coaches in school history.

Smith’s best team in most people’s opinion, that clearly had championship caliber talent in 2020, never got a shot at an Omaha run due to the canceled season from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 team featured a lot of young talent and overcame some bad injury luck, but it was clear that the athletic program — and a lot of fans — wanted a change.