HOOVER—For the first time in his 11-minute press conference, Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin cracked a smile and joked that he didn’t want to answer a question.
The question was reasonable considering where this Vanderbilt baseball program is these days, though. Vanderbilt had just finished its final loss of the season and was in the midst of reflecting on how its 19-year regional streak had just likely come to an end when Corbin was asked about the state of the sport.
Vanderbilt was a dominant force prior to Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal becoming prevalent in the sport. Now, though, it hasn’t gotten out of a regional since 2021 and just bottomed out.
The sport has changed significantly, but Corbin isn’t deterred.
“I don't look at it and go ‘oh, my gosh.’ I just look at it and say ‘I'm going to figure this sh** out, some way, somehow,’” Corbin said. “It's a balancing act in terms of getting players, whether it's incoming high school kids, being able to acquire them — finances probably helps to that some degree. We don't dip into the portal a lot. And really our opportunity in the portal is we probably have to go freshmen/sophomore. We can't get a junior. So we have our own challenges that way.”
Corbin says he plans to run an internal audit in regard to Vanderbilt’s program as a whole and hasn’t made any decisions in regard to potential staff changes. Vanderbilt, though, has posted a listing for a general manager-esque role. The position is likely to go to someone with professional baseball experience and is expected to be filled relatively soon.
When Corbin evaluates candidates for that role, though, he likely wants to add someone that understands that Vanderbilt still wants to be a program centered on retention and culture. This 33-25 season hasn’t changed Corbin’s mind on that, and it likely never will.
“I think the balance is trying to do things in the way that you're trying to stick to,” Corbin said, “Your values of what you deem necessary and important inside your program.”
Corbin has been tested in that way, but hasn’t grown entirely pessimistic about the state of the game like a number of other coaches are these days. This isn’t what Corbin signed up for, but he’s worked to avoid a nature of bitterness.
“I love college baseball,” Corbin said. “I love where college baseball is. I love where this conference is. I just look at it as ‘okay, we've got some good players coming back, but we need to better ourselves.’”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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