Success begets interest from potential suitors. Such is the case for Arizona Wildcats coach Jay Johnson.
Johnson, who just led the UA to its second College World Series berth in five tries, is one of three finalists for the LSU coaching job, according to The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette, Louisiana.
East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin (a former LSU assistant) and Notre Dame coach Link Jarrett are the other finalists, the paper reported.
Johnson has two years left on his contract with base salaries of $540,000 and $550,000 through the 2023 season. That money would be owed to the UA if Johnson were to leave. Johnson is also in line to garner 20,000 shares in a longevity fund; those shares were worth $350,871 as of Wednesday.
Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said during the CWS that he and Johnson would discuss a contract extension when the season ended. The Wildcats were ousted from the CWS on Monday.
Attempts to reach Johnson and Heeke on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Johnson, 44, just completed his sixth season at Arizona. Hired from Nevada in June 2015, Johnson has led the Wildcats to three postseason appearances. Arizona has a 208-114 record under his watch, including a national runner-up finish in 2016 and a Pac-12 championship this past season.
Johnson is from Northern California, and Tucson is the farthest east he has coached. But the SEC is considered the top conference in college baseball, and LSU is a program that’s rich in resources.
LSU is seeking to replace Paul Mainieri, who retired after the Tigers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward has Pac-12 ties, having served in the same capacity at Washington from 2008-15. One of his top aides, executive deputy AD/COO Stephanie Rempe, played volleyball at Arizona and began her professional career at the UA.
Meanwhile, UA pitching coach Nate Yeskie reportedly has drawn interest for the same job at Texas A&M. Yeskie conceivably would be considered for the Arizona head coaching position if Johnson were to depart.
