At USC Upstate, Kane Sweeney was hired as the newest head coach last summer after Mike McGuire took the job at Winthrop while his younger brother, Johnny Sweeney, is suiting up as a key player on the team. It’s not every day you see a head coach leading a team with his own brother in the lineup, making this a totally not normal setup in Division I baseball.
Kane, after six years as an assistant, took over as head coach in 2025. Meanwhile, Johnny, a 6-foot-5 infielder, transferred to USC Upstate in 2023 and started 32 games last season. While the situation is unique, it’s business as usual for the team. It should be safe to assume that Kane runs the program like any other coach would, and Johnny has to earn his spot on the field like everyone else, but it sounds so weird envisioning a world where your brother is trying to treat you like anyone else. Even if they are 10 years apart in age (32yr/22yr). Seems easier for a dad to do that. LOL.
Family ties in coaching aren’t unheard of, but this player-coach dynamic is rare. The closest thing to this has to be at Oklahoma State, where Josh Holliday runs the baseball program while his brother Matt Holliday has been part of the coaching staff.
As the 2025 season gets underway, USC Upstate is looking to move on from Mike McGuire after a successful 5 seasons as head coach. Sweeney should have his sights set on a Big South title. Whether or not this arrangement gives the bros an edge, it’s definitely one of the more interesting storylines in college baseball this year.
At USC Upstate, Kane Sweeney was hired as the newest head coach last summer after Mike McGuire took the job at Winthrop while his younger brother, Johnny Sweeney, is suiting up as a key player on the team. It’s not every day you see a head coach leading a team with his own brother in the lineup, making this a totally not normal setup in Division I baseball.
Kane, after six years as an assistant, took over as head coach in 2025. Meanwhile, Johnny, a 6-foot-5 infielder, transferred to USC Upstate in 2023 and started 32 games last season. While the situation is unique, it’s business as usual for the team. It should be safe to assume that Kane runs the program like any other coach would, and Johnny has to earn his spot on the field like everyone else, but it sounds so weird envisioning a world where your brother is trying to treat you like anyone else. Even if they are 10 years apart in age (32yr/22yr). Seems easier for a dad to do that. LOL.
Family ties in coaching aren’t unheard of, but this player-coach dynamic is rare. The closest thing to this has to be at Oklahoma State, where Josh Holliday runs the baseball program while his brother Matt Holliday has been part of the coaching staff.
As the 2025 season gets underway, USC Upstate is looking to move on from Mike McGuire after a successful 5 seasons as head coach. Sweeney should have his sights set on a Big South title. Whether or not this arrangement gives the bros an edge, it’s definitely one of the more interesting storylines in college baseball this year.
