Simmons Field: If Tim Jamieson's contract is extended, what next?

So, while we twiddle our collective thumbs and wait to hear what Mack Rhoades will do about Tim Jamieson and the future of Mizzou Baseball, it's only natural to wonder what will happen if Coach Jamieson is given a contract extension after all. Job #1 is to find a new assistant coach.

Hunter Mense will return as the hitting coach, but look for Tim Jamieson to focus on hiring a top recruiter to replace the already departed Kerrick Jackson, regardless of whether the newcomer is a pitching coach or not.

Coach J has a history of thinking outside the box, hiring the coach he wants, regardless of specific job titles or experience. When Sean McCann left Mizzou for Kansas State after the 2003 season, Jamieson did the unexpected and hired former Mizzou player Tony Vitello to be the pitching coach, even though Vitello was not a pitcher. When Vitello left and Evan Pratte shifted over to the Director of Baseball Operations job, TJ hired Matt Hobbs, a former Mizzou pitcher, as the pitching coach, and hired Kerrick Jackson, also a former pitcher, to be the recruiting coordinator. Then when Hobbs moved on to be the pitching coach at Wake Forest a year ago, Jamieson replaced him with another former MU player, Hunter Mense, to be the hitting coach, with Jamieson assuming the dual role of head coach and pitching coach.

Tim Jamieson seems to really like being in charge of the pitching, so it won't be surprising at all if he forgoes looking for a new pitching coach and concentrates on hiring a top recruiter.

The biggest problem may be that even with a new multi-year contract the uncertainty regarding Jamieson's long-term job security could still be a factor in keeping some assistant coaching candidates away from Mizzou at this point.

On the other hand, there is an outside-the-box candidate who is very close to the program right now and who doesn't need to be concerned about job security, a guy who could be a great pitching coach and recruiter.

Could it be? Andy Benes, Mizzou pitching coach?

I'm just speculating and dreaming, but for anyone who's seen how invested Andy Benes has been in the team since his son Shane became a Tiger, it's not an absurd notion. Furthermore, given Benes' publicly expressed praise of Tim Jamieson, I wouldn't put it past him to offer his services as an inducement to AD Mack Rhoades to give Jamieson a 2-3 year chance to continue to develop the program in the SEC.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Andy Benes' son brings pop to Mizzou lineup

"For him, I was excited that he could have potentially been a high pick, but his mother and I really wanted him to come to Columbia, and go to school and play for Coach Jamieson," said Andy Benes, who won 155 major-league games in 14 seasons, including five with the Cardinals from 1996-97 and 2000-02. "We really have a lot of respect for him and what he stands for, his integrity. … In somewhat of a positive way that decision (college or the pros) didn’t have to be made."

When the news of Kerrick Jackson's exit from Mizzou became public, national college baseball writer Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com made these comment on Twitter:

Kerrick did a great job getting some very solid talent to #Mizzou. Missouri has options, one of which is very very impressive/attractive.

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogersD1) May 27, 2015

I wondered at the time who could be the option that would make Rogers use the phrase "very very impressive/attractive." Andy Benes would certainly fit that bill.

I have no secret SOURCES. I have no inside knowledge. All I have is the active mind of someone who's checking Twitter every 20 minutes waiting to see what Mack Rhoades is going todo.