Updates with Pawlowski press conference.

When John Pawlowski awoke Friday morning, he was the head coach at the College of Charleston.

But that was about to change.

A 7:30 a.m. text message from Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs kick-started an extremely busy day for Pawlowski. By 1 p.m, he was on a plane headed for Auburn.

A few hours after that, he was standing in front of a podium in the AU athletic department, being introduced as Auburn’s new baseball coach.

With about a dozen Auburn players and an equal number of reporters looking on, he opened his press conference with a “War Eagle” — “That’s the chant, right?” he joked — and followed with a list of his expectations.

“We’re going to be blue-collar, hard-nosed, tough kids who are going to play hard to the final out,” Pawlowski said. “They’re going to go to class; they’re going to get an education, which is going to go far and beyond the playing fields.

“That’s the No. 1 priority. We’re going to recruit kids who are going to do the right things, both on and off the field.”

Pawlowski was 338-192-1 in the past nine seasons at Charleston, where he led the Cougars to three NCAA Tournament appearances, a Super Regional and four Southern Conference titles.

He earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2004, 2005 and 2007.

“I spent nine great years there,” he said of Charleston. “We did a lot of positive things, both on and off the field.

“It was a very, very exciting time for us, but when this opportunity came up, I said, ‘Man, I want to jump on this opportunity.’”

Pawlowski replaces Tom Slater, whose May 17 resignation led to a month-long search for a replacement.

Auburn was 115-113 in the Slater era. AU finished 28-28 last season and 11-19 in Southeastern Conference play.

The Tigers haven’t made the NCAA Tournament field since 2005 and haven’t played in the SEC Tournament since 2003.

Pawlowski is looking forward to changing those trends. In his introductory press conference, he made sure to mention Omaha, Neb., site of the College World Series. Auburn hasn’t made a CWS since 1997.

“With the players they have in place, and the commitment these guys have made, there is no reason why Auburn baseball can’t climb to the top and get back to Omaha where they need to be and compete for a national championship,” he said.

But on-field success isn’t his only goal.

“We’re going to move this program onward and upward, and I’m excited to be part of it,” Pawlowski said. “Our goals are going to more than just winning championships — the SEC championship and going to Omaha.

“Our goals are going to be to recruit quality student-athletes, both on and off the field.”

This wasn’t Pawlowski’s first involvement with AU. He interviewed for Auburn’s head-coaching opening in 2004, when the university tabbed Slater.

“I thought the whole thing went very well,” Pawlowski said of his 2004 interview.

“It wasn’t meant to be at that time. … The opportunity came back around this time, and they called and I said ‘I hope it works out this time.’”

This time, Pawlowski was one of about a dozen candidates to interview with Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs. The two men met Tuesday, and Jacobs made the offer early Friday morning.

“It’s been a great process getting to know John, his determination and his desire to win,” Jacobs said Friday. “We’re extremely proud that he is now going to be a member of the Auburn family.”

Pawlowski’s Auburn contract runs for the next five seasons and will pay him $300,000 per year. The contract features several incentives, including a $15,000 bonus for a SEC championship, $20,000 for making the College World Series and $60,000 for a national title.

A standout pitcher at Clemson from 1983-85, Pawlowski was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in 1985. He played eight seasons of professional baseball with the White Sox, California Angels and Baltimore Orioles organizations.

After finishing his professional career in 1992, he returned to Clemson to complete his degree in industrial education.

Pawlowski served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater from 1994-1998. He also worked one season as the pitching coach at Arizona State before taking the Charleston job in 2000.

“You look at a guy that’s been a professional in the game, played in the ACC, coached in the Pac 10 and coached in the ACC, recruited the Southeast, energetic and has the values that reflect Auburn people — it was a grand slam for Auburn,” Jacobs said.

A native of Johnson City, N.Y., Pawlowski has three daughters: Christine, 16; Mary Louise, 13; and Jenny Caroline, 7.

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