COLUMBIA, S.C. — It was in late May when Monte Lee was fired as Clemson's head baseball coach after seven seasons at the helm of that program. That followed a seven-year run as the head coach of the College of Charleston.
Before Lee took that job in the Lowcountry, he was an assistant coach under Ray Tanner.
The Lugoff-Elgin graduate has returned to the Gamecock program as the team's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. On Friday,. Monte was standing near the Gamecock dugout offering encouragement and instruction to hitters during Carolina's first day of fall practice which featured a five-inning scrimmage.
Kingston and Lee had a very friendly relationship when both were in charge of the Power 5 programs in the state. That certainly made Lee's decision to come for Kingston easier.
South Carolina's sixth-year head coach says Lee has brought a fresh approach which he expects will help the hitters increase their productivity.
"There are different areas that cause improvement to happen and then if you create situations where they're challenged every day, they're going to get better." Kingston said.
"So we're making sure that those things are being done every day, not that they haven't been in the past cause they have, but just in terms of he's bringing a new [creative process], and we're sharing ideas of our long experiences. So I think the players have responded well, and I think offensively, we're going to be in a good place. I really do."