Nick Schnabel

Nick Schnabel completed his second year with the Tiger program as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in 2024. Schnabel (pronounced SHNAHB-ull), who was named to the staff on June 27, 2022 and works with the infielders, coached alongside Bakich during his tenure at Michigan from 2013-22 and was named national assistant coach-of-the-year by ABCA in 2019.

In two seasons at Clemson, he has helped the Tigers to 88 victories, 11th most in the nation. Clemson was one of only six programs to total 44 wins in both 2023 and 2024. He has also coached the Tigers to two regional host seasons, one of only five schools in the nation who could make the claim. Clemson’s 68.2 winning percentage against ACC teams since 2023 is best among ACC members.

As recruiting coordinator at Clemson, he has played a big part in signing nationally ranked recruiting classes. The Tigers’ 2023 signing class (2024 newcomers excluding transfers) was rated No. 11 in the nation by Baseball America.

The 2024 Tigers had a 44-16 record and finished ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation, its best finish since 2010. Clemson was ranked in the top 10 in every poll in 2024, a first since 2006. The Tigers captured their first regional title since 2010 by winning the Clemson Regional with a 3-0 record and hosted the Clemson Super Regional.

Clemson amassed a 20-10 ACC regular-season record for the second year in a row. That 20-10 record gave the Tigers the ACC Atlantic Division title. The Tigers hit 109 homers, as their 1.8 homers per game was the second-highest mark in school history. Clemson’s .513 slugging percentage was its best mark since 2002. Blake Wright and Jimmy Obertop were big reasons, as both hit 22 home runs. Wright and Cam Cannarella were third-team All-Americans.

In his first season in Tigertown in 2023, Schnabel coached the Tigers to the league championship by going 4-0 in the ACC Tournament at Durham, N.C. Clemson finished with a 20-10 league mark, good for second place in the overall standings, thanks in large part to a 17-game winning streak. The Tigers had a 44-19 record, their best mark since 2018, and ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation by Baseball America in the final polls. Clemson hit .306, 22nd highest in the nation, with a .400 on-base percentage in 2023, its best marks since 2011, and totaled 103 steals, most by Clemson since 2013. The Tigers set a school record for fielding percentage (.977) as well.

Caden Grice, the winner of the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player-of-the-Year Award, and Billy Amick earned first-team All-America honors. Amick and Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman-of-the-Year, were First-Team All-ACC selections. Cannarella was named a first-team freshman All-American and led the ACC in batting average (.408) in conference games.

Schnabel served as recruiting coordinator as well as working with the Wolverine infielders and hitters during his tenure in Ann Arbor. His 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 in the nation by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, one of the highest rankings in program history and Big Ten Conference history.

Many of those players were instrumental in the 2019 team’s 50-22 record and an NCAA runner-up finish in the championship series of the College World Series, as Michigan came just one win shy of the national title. Schnabel was also a key part of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2015, the first Big Ten Conference Tournament championship during his time at Michigan.

The 2022 team won the Big Ten Conference Tournament title and played in the Louisville Regional, advancing to the championship game. The 2021 Michigan team also made an NCAA Tournament appearance.

The 2020 team was poised for a successful season as well before it was cut short. Following that season, four Wolverines were drafted in the five-round draft, including three hitters under Schnabel’s tutelage, Jordan Nwogu (third round), Jesse Franklin (third round) and Jack Blomgren (fifth round).

Schnabel served three seasons (2010-12) at his alma mater, East Carolina, as hitting instructor, infield coach and recruiting coordinator. He also was hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator at Liberty (2008,09) and served as hitting instructor at Army West Point (2006,07).

In 2005, he was an assistant coach at Chipola (Fla.) College after he began his coaching career as the volunteer assistant coach at East Carolina in 2004, when the Pirates totaled 51 wins and advanced to the Columbia (S.C.) Super Regional.

He played alongside Bakich at East Carolina in 1999 and 2000 under late Head Coach Keith LeClair. Schnabel was a First-Team All-CAA selection and CAA Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 1999. During both seasons, the Pirates won league titles and were No. 1 seeds in NCAA Regionals. In his two years in Greenville, he hit .333 with five homers, 29 doubles, 58 RBIs, 106 runs and 19 steals in 120 games.

Schnabel and Bakich both wear jersey #23 to honor LeClair, who wore that jersey number as a head coach at East Carolina. LeClair passed away in 2006 after a battle with ALS.

Schnabel began his collegiate career at Ohlone (Calif.) College, where he was a first-team all-conference player.

After his playing career in college, Schnabel played four seasons (2000-03) and 189 games of minor league baseball in the Expos organization.

Schnabel graduated from East Carolina in 2003 with a degree in communications.

He was born Nicholas Arthur Schnabel on March 16, 1978 in Berkeley, Calif. The Martinez, Calif. native and his wife, Emily, have a son, Cal, and daughter, Caroline.