When Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs went searching for a new baseball coach in 2008, it didn’t take him long to determine that John Pawlowski was the right man to take on the task of restoring the pride and tradition that were synonymous with Auburn’s baseball program not that long ago. A former MLB pitcher and ten year head coaching veteran Pawlowski brought with him a pedigree that included a seven year professional baseball career and assistant coaching stops at perennial powers Clemson and Arizona State before his nine-year run at the College of Charleston. During his stay at CofC, he had a .637 winning percentage, two regular season conference championships and three straight NCAA Tournament berths from 2004-06. His all time record is 369-217-1.

Since arriving on the Plains, he has lived up to his initial billing both inside the clubhouse and in the Auburn community, helping raise money for charities while also putting in place the measures to get the program back to the College World Series. A three-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year Pawlowski turned a regionally successful program at the College of Charleston into a nationally recognized program setting records for wins in a season and a NCAA Tournament birth for the first time in school history. By the end of the ‘06 season CofC was clearly on the map as it went to SEC Cham-pion Kentucky’s home field and went 3-0 to win the NCAA Regional and advance to the Atlanta Super Regional. The Cougars finished the year ranked as high as 12th nationally.