Nick Ammirati leaving Kentucky for Georgia; Nolan McCarthy enters transfer portal

Just a couple of weeks after the Kentucky Wildcats’ miraculous baseball season ended in their first-ever College World Series berth, assistant coach Nick Ammirati is leaving to join the Georgia Bulldogs, the school announced Tuesday.

Ammirati came to Lexington in 2021 after leaving Southern Mississippi, and his contract expired last night at midnight. Instead of a renegotiation, he leaves for Georgia to join former Wildcat coach Will Coggin, who was an assistant under Nick Mingione from 2020-2023.

Ammirati’s departure will sting a tad bit for Kentucky, as he was the lead recruiter for tons of players, both incoming freshmen and guys coming in through the transfer portal. The program is in a much better spot now than when Ammirati first got here, so finding a replacement shouldn’t be as challenging as one would initially think.

Mingione moved Ammirati to the dugout more than two years ago, when Ammirati originally coached third base, to be with the players in the dugout, leaving Coach Mingione to coach third base. Mingione made the switch and he credits that move being a pivotal point in turning the program around.

We could be seeing our first repercussion of this loss, as standout outfielder Nolan McCarthy has entered the transfer portal, according to Derek Terry.

This past season McCarthy was Kentucky’s full-time starting centerfielder while batting .288 with eight home runs and 41 RBI. He was set to be a redshirt senior for the 2025 season.

McCarthy will forever live in Kentucky history after his memorable play vs. Oregon State that sent the Bat Cats to the College World Series. In Game 2 of the Lexington Super Regional against the Beavers, McCarthy scored from second base on a dropped third strike to give the Cats a 3-2 lead, which would prove to be the final score.

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