Baseball Announces Promotions For Gaines & Hicks

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Following another highly successful season that saw the team win its 27th ACC championship and advance to the NCAA Super Regionals, North Carolina baseball head coach Scott Forbes has promoted Bryant Gaines to associate head coach and Carter Hicks to general manager.

"I have the best coaching staff and support staff in the country, and I'm reminded of that every day when I see how hard they work at making this program better for our players and our fans," Forbes said. "We are so excited for these guys take on these new roles. These moves will help us stay nationally competitive as we continue to positively adapt to this new era of college baseball. Both of these men bring an uncommon work ethic and expertise to the table and I am grateful to have them on our team."

Gaines, who will enter his 16th total season with the program in 2026, has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in college baseball. He led the Carolina pitching staff to the ACC's best ERA for the second straight year and the third best in the nation overall.

A four-year letterman and two-time captain for the Tar Heels from 2007-11, Gaines has now tacked on 11 years of experience as an assistant coach on this staff. Since taking over as pitching coach in 2020, he has seen nine of his arms taken in the MLB Draft with a pair going in the top-eight rounds this past season in Aidan Haugh (6th) and Jake Knapp (8th).

Scouting and development have become Gaines' calling card, as many of his star arms have come from unheralded beginnings. Austin Love, a 2021 First Team All-ACC honoree went from unranked prospect to third-round pick under Gaines while Haugh and Knapp both came from the junior college ranks. Gaines coached Knapp into a superstar role in his final collegiate season, becoming the first Tar Heel to be named National Pitcher of the Year since 2006.

Gaines has been involved in half of the program's trips to the College World Series, going four times as a player and twice as an assistant.

"I'm incredibly humbled, honored, and grateful to be named associate head coach for North Carolina baseball," Gaines said. "The trust Coach Forbes has shown in me, along with our administration's continued support, proves why UNC is such an incredible place. I am excited to take on even more challenges in this new position, and I will continue to work tirelessly to help our program and players improve, both on and off the field."

Hicks, who has served as the team's director of player and program development since 2022, moves into the general manger role to take charge of revenue sharing, NIL, roster management and any other new challenges presented by the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.

The UNC graduate stepped into the director of player and program development role in the summer of 2022 after spending his previous four years with USA Baseball, serving as its director of operations the last three. He was a student manager for the Tar Heels from 2015-18, serving as head student manager each season.

In his promotion to general manager, Hicks officially takes over a key role that will see him navigate areas such as revenue sharing, NIL, roster management, etc. alongside his previous duties.

"I'm excited to take on this new role and responsibility as the needs of our baseball program continue to evolve," Hicks said. "I want to thank Coach Forbes for trusting me with this opportunity and our administration for their support. I look forward to continuing to work with our outstanding coaches and support staff to serve our players on a daily basis."

Players Mentioned

Aidan Haugh

Jake Knapp

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