MTSU dropped two of three to FAU in its penultimate Conference USA series of the season, a significant hit to its postseason hopes. Erik Bacharach, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
The Jim McGuire era is over at MTSU.
After the Blue Raiders baseball team missed the Conference USA tournament for a third straight season, McGuire, who just finished his sixth season as coach, will not have his contract renewed.
MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro made the announcement Monday, two days after the Blue Raiders' 2018 campaign ended. McGuire's contract, which has paid him $95,000 annually each of the past two years, expires June 30.
A national search for McGuire's replacement will begin immediately.
"I want to thank Coach McGuire for his commitment and dedication to our baseball program the past 26 years as an assistant and head coach," Massaro said in a news release. "We are very appreciative of Jim and his staff for the work they have done to help our student-athletes both academically and athletically.
"After careful consideration and an ongoing evaluation of the program, we have decided to make a change. We wish him the best."
McGuire has spent the past six seasons as MTSU coach and spent the 20 years prior as an assistant for the program.
The Blue Raiders finished 27-27-1 overall and 12-17-1 in C-USA this year, marking the third straight season in which they finished in the bottom third of the conference standings and failed to advance to the conference tournament.
MTSU went 48-43 in league play — including appearances in the C-USA tournament in both 2014 and 2015 — in McGuire’s first three seasons before going 27-61-1 in conference play over the past three seasons.