Monte Lee understands the pressure that comes with being Clemson’s new baseball coach.

Since 1958, few programs in the country have had the success the Tigers’ baseball program has had. Clemson has appeared in the College World Series 12 times, has been to the NCAA Tournament every year but one since 1987 and has won more ACC Championships than any other team.

But this is the job Lee has waited his whole life for. This is the one he has wanted since he became a coach nearly two decades ago. So excuse him if he doesn’t feel the pressure. He is just doing what he loves to do.

“I wouldn’t say necessarily that I feel a whole lot of pressure about being at Clemson,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Clemson Insider on Thursday. “Heck, I have worked my whole life for it. I’m excited to be here. Every day is a great day when you are working at a place like this. You are working at one of the best programs in the country.”

It’s even better for him now that fall practice is approaching. The Tigers will begin fall drills on Sept. 25 inside Doug Kingsmore Stadium. It will mark the first time Lee and his new players will share the baseball diamond as a team.

“I always want to be the kind of coach that I would want to play for,” Lee said. “I try to put myself in their shoes. How can I help this kid be the best player he can be? How can I help this team be the best team that it could be?

“You learn by experience. There are things you do differently every year, and change things from time to time.”

Lee says he isn’t nervous about coaching at Clemson, and all that comes with it, but he is worried.

“I worry about everything,” he said. “I worry about our players. I worry about recruiting. I worry. I worry about it.”

But when the spring comes around, Lee says all that worrying is pushed to the side. He says he does not worry about the baseball games.

“The only thing that ever bothers me during the season is when we beat ourselves,” he said. “I feel like that is on me. When we beat ourselves, when we don’t execute pitches or we make mental mistakes and those types of things, then I feel like it is on me.

“I have a pretty high-level of accountability. I don’t complain. I’m not into blaming the players. I’m not into that. I am the one that needs to be held accountable for. I shoulder the losses. It is my responsibility to coach my players to the point where they are playing at their best ability. That’s my job. I want guys performing at a high level or whatever level is their highest level.”

Lee, who spent the last seven seasons as the head coach at the College of Charleston, says he enjoys the big-time environments … the big crowds, the big games, the NCAA Tournament. He enjoys it all. And more importantly, he likes to have fun while experiencing it.

“That’s what you sign up for,” he said. “All of the hard work goes into the recruiting, and goes into the coaching and the development. On game day, how much impact do I really have? In baseball, my players are the ones who win the ballgame. My players are the ones who execute.

“What I do goes into that. What we do at practice impacts that, but when it comes to game time, they go play. I think if anything, as a coach on game day, you can screw it up more than you can help it. If you have taught them right and they understand the game plan, they understand the opponent and what their strengths are, they’re going to win the game… I’ll be excited about the season. The season will not be something I worry a whole lot about. I worry about the now, today, getting the most out of them today. I have to worry about fall practice.”