On April 5, 2000, the South Carolina Gamecocks were playing against the Citadel. Gamecocks head coach Ray Tanner was ejected because of an argument with the ump. He had to slink off to an upstairs office at USC’s Sarge Frye Field. To his surprise, a few minutes later, his top assistant, recruiting coordinator and third base coach Jim Toman showed up there. When Tanner asked who’s coaching the team, Toman responded, “Ah, hell, coach, I got run too.”

He could light up any tense moment with a joke before reminding everyone to “keep grinding.” During training sessions, he was seen playing with one of the coaching staff’s caps, lifting it off and then sharing a smile. That fun is now all for heaven after he lost his one-year battle with brain cancer, as rightly shared by South Carolina Gamecocks’ Coordinator of Baseball Administration, Stuart Lake.

With this news, we cannot help but recall what his daughter, Caroline Toman Lammon, who took care of her dad for the last year, had shared.

After his diagnosis in 2025, Caroline said, “Unfortunately, the doctors believe my father has a terminal, cancerous glioma. He wanted me to make sure you all know how grateful he is for everyone reaching out… He may not be able to respond to every message now as he isn’t feeling the best, but he feels very lucky to have so many wonderful friends.”

To generations of players, Jim Toman wasn’t just another coach. “Storm” was the booming voice in the dugout and the relentless recruiter on the road. His antics on the field, followed by multiple ejections throughout his career, earned him the nickname.

The Big Guy enhanced South Carolina Baseball and made it what it is today, helping the Gamecocks to three straight College World Series appearances from 2002 to 2004. He recruited a top 25 class in all 11 seasons at South Carolina, with his 2003, 2005, and 2006 Gamecock recruiting classes ranked first in the nation by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Toman was literally a larger-than-life personality.

“We are all indebted to you for the impact you made on our lives—players, coaches, staff, and fans alike,” Ray Tanner, Toman’s comrade in the dugout for 18 years, shared on social media, per CBS News. “Your health struggles over the past year may have taken away your ability to pursue your passion for baseball and life as you once did, but those of us who truly knew you know where your heart always was and always will be.”

Back in 2025, after the Big Guy announced the news on social, Tanner had shared that all of it happened so fast. He even traveled to Duke University Hospital and had surgery, but reportedly, doctors weren’t certain that it did a complete job of removing the cancerous growth.

And the most heartbreaking part is probably the timing of the diagnosis.

“We were just talking about a trip he had planned. He went to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling great, and that’s when he found out,” shared Tanned back in 2025, noting that everything just happened in 10 days.

The biggest aspect of Toman isn’t his resume or the number of championships he has won.

Every person close to the former coach revealed that he could restrict the pressure of baseball from outweighing the joy of the sport. His jokes inside the dugout, the way he could help his players loosen up before even the biggest moments, made him who he was. And everyone loved how he flexed himself, his teams, and his colleagues. And they felt like losing an integral part of them as Jim Toman passed away on August 4, at the age of 64. 

“He’d say, ‘You guys need to make sure when we are hanging out with the recruits, tell them we have the best program in the country,’” College of Charleston associate head coach Monte Lee recalled. “And the recruiting coordinator, the big guy, Jim Toman, has the biggest pythons in the country—and he flexed.”

That’s how he would make everyone erupt in laughter.

Landon Powell, former Gamecock catcher and recruit by Toman, explained that he wouldn’t just roll up his sleeves to show off his pythons, but he would also eat pies on Friday nights and share some lighthearted moments.

Jim could make the players feel like they were the best in the world. Former player Drew Meyer was so emotional after the news that he couldn’t even appear in front of the camera.

Jim Toman was born on November 28, 1961, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. His leadership traits became unmissable even before he attended college.

He was the captain of both the baseball and football teams at Gateway High School. Jim then transitioned to NC State and was the letterwinner behind the plate for four years. 

He continued to captain the baseball team during his junior and senior years. His standout performance in the 1984 ACC Tournament (record-setting 4 home runs, 4 doubles, and 25 bases) earned him the All-Tournament honor. 

It didn’t take long for Toman to transition that competitive edge to coaching.

He assisted Tanner at NC State before following him to South Carolina in 1997. Many of his recruits, like Meyer, Landon Powell, Justin Smoak, and Yaron Richardson, among others, were drafted into MLB. 

Baseball America honored him as National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002. And Lee named him “the most important coach to ever wear the garnet and black.”

And Toman was as influential to his players and colleagues as he was to his family.

Dugout, the recruiting trail, and beyond: Toman is a legend

Friends would often describe Jim as the ultimate “proud dad.” He would often go on social media and brag about his children. Any time his children achieved a milestone or took a big step in life, he would celebrate it with utmost enthusiasm. 

From cheering for Caroline’s corporate lawyer journey or her wedding, to supporting Tucker’s journey through the Toronto Blue Jays organization and Charlie Mac’s vintage business, he was always there. 

And the fact that he would never compromise family for his work proves how incredibly balanced he made his life and his philosophies. One even recalled chatting with him when Tucker was playing Little League baseball in Lynchburg, and noted the ‘nice’ memories.

That chat probably brought out his love for fishing, and how he would pull off a road to fish in a pond if he found one.

His slogan “keep grinding” was much more than a catch phrase. It was a mindset that he deliberately imbued into his players as well as his children. 

One parent even remembered Toman’s contributions for their son during his time at Liberty University. Apparently, he provided that college baseball player, Alex, with a full scholarship.

Today, every story out there echoes the love and passion Storm shared for the sport.

Former NC State Wolfpack student equipment manager Kevin Creech recalled, “Tanner was strict and serious during the game, but Storm would bring some levity to the dugout even while being fiery.”

“If they had gone a couple of innings without some hits, he would knock over all the bats and call it ‘waking up the bats,’ or he would put on a full set of catcher’s equipment and call it ‘rally gear,’ trying to get guys motivated at the plate.”

It wasn’t just about his baseball skills or his tremendous routines. What made him stand out was the jokes, the nicknames he would use for the players, the energy he brought to the dugout, and the confidence he instilled in everyone he ever coached. 

That’s why Nick Pierce, the Liberty Flames Sports Network, termed him “one of one.”

Coach Jim Toman was an academic excellence, too.

He was named the NC State School of Education’s Student of the Year as a senior. Toman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in vocational industrial education from N.C. State in 1985 and graduated as the top student in the vocational industrial education curriculum. He received a Master of Science degree in sport management from N.C. State in 1995 with a 4.0 grade-point average.

The Big Guy had an eidetic memory, starting from his studies to the roster of players he recruited and coached.

“It’s one thing to be a good recruiter, but it is another level completely to be a talent evaluator. That’s what he brought to our program,” coach Tanner shared once.

Reportedly, he used to spend days at ballparks throughout the country watching high school players in showcases and tournaments. He arrived earlier and stayed later than his coaching counterparts to look for a diamond in the rough.

The message Toman preached throughout his coaching career never faded. Players from South Carolina and NC State to Liberty and Middle Tennessee would remember how he helped them win the games and the awards. But more than that, they would keep Toman in their memories as someone who never stopped believing in them.

In loving memory of Jim Toman, on August 13, a visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Dunbar Funeral Home on Devine Street in Columbia. The next day, August 14, the same spot will have a funeral service. The complete address is: 3926 Devine Street, Columbia, South Carolina, 29205.

A private burial will follow at Good Shepherd Cemetery in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Brain Tumor Society at BrainTumor.org.

Our thoughts and prayers with Jim Toman’s family and friends.