WEHT Todd Benzinger Updated

[Unassisted]

The original "WEHT Todd Benzinger" thread from 2006 is in the Sundeck and it announced the beginning of the career move below.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...10122/-1/CINCI

Benzinger out at Loveland
BY TOM GROESCHEN | TGROESCHEN@ENQUIRER.COM
Former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Todd Benzinger, girls' basketball coach at Loveland the past two years, will not be back for the 2008-09 season. Benzinger's contract was not renewed.

"We are going in a different direction," Loveland athletic director Jeff Zidron said today. "We hope to have a different coach in the next two weeks."

Loveland was 30-12 in Benzinger's two seasons, including 17-4 this past season. Loveland, a Division I basketball school, was 5-16 the year before Benzinger arrived.

Benzinger is not a teacher and therefore did not work in the school building, and he thought that became a factor in the decision to non-renew him.

"I had a great two years there," Benzinger said. "I think they are looking for someone who is also a teacher, somebody in the building. I'm fine with that. I'll move on."

Benzinger, 45, previously was girls' head coach at Seven Hills for seven years. He was 122-47 at Seven Hills and reached two Division IV district finals.

Benzinger, a New Richmond native, said he hopes to stay in coaching and may be looking at some other jobs.

Benzinger played nine seasons (1987-95) in major league baseball. He was with the Reds from 1989-91, and he caught a foul pop-up for the last out of Cincinnati's 1990 World Series win over Oakland.

[Highlifeman21]

I wonder why he's really out in Loveland.

[dabvu2498]

I wonder why he's really out in Loveland.

Reading between the lines, a teacher in the building and/or the teacher's association raised a stink.

I'd guess that in a district as large as Loveland, there's at least one person employed there who thinks they're qualified to be girls basketball coach.

If I read you right, HLM21, I get the feeling you're suggesting something dark. Districts can't afford to "cover up" anything like that anymore. Too much bad press and leaving themselves open to lawsuits.

I'd say take this one (pretty much) at face value.

[Highlifeman21]

Reading between the lines, a teacher in the building and/or the teacher's association raised a stink.

I'd guess that in a district as large as Loveland, there's at least one person employed there who thinks they're qualified to be girls basketball coach.

If I read you right, HLM21, I get the feeling you're suggesting something dark. Districts can't afford to "cover up" anything like that anymore. Too much bad press and leaving themselves open to lawsuits.

I'd say take this one (pretty much) at face value.

No darkness.

I just think it's petty if the honest truth to him being out is b/c he's not a teacher and not in the building. I would think the district and the AD could easily look beyond that tidbit if he's turned around the program (which he did) and in the process putting butts in seats (which I can assume he did as well).

Anyone know what transpired to bring him to Loveland from Seven Hills? I thought he was really establishing himself and the program there during his tenure.

[dabvu2498]

I just think it's petty if the honest truth to him being out is b/c he's not a teacher and not in the building. I would think the district and the AD could easily look beyond that tidbit if he's turned around the program (which he did) and in the process putting butts in seats (which I can assume he did as well).

I'd guess their union contract might say that employees in the district get first dibs on supplemental contracts.

It is still petty.

[camisadelgolf]

Todd Benzinger talked at both my elementary school and my high school about not doing drugs. He seemed pretty nice. By the way, does anyone know where the final baseball of the 1990 World Series is?

[KoryMac5]

This kind of thing happens all the time with school districts. Nobody wants the program when it is 5-16 but when they turn it around everyone come calling.

[savafan]

Todd Benzinger talked at both my elementary school and my high school about not doing drugs. He seemed pretty nice. By the way, does anyone know where the final baseball of the 1990 World Series is?

I do know that there was a man in Piqua...his last name was Stump, who was a huge Todd Benzinger fan, and had turned his house into a Benzinger Museum. He and Benzinger became pretty good friends, and Todd had given him some memorabilia for his little Benzinger Museum. I don't know if the ball is there or not. Actually, that guy was pretty old at the time, he was a bus driver when I was in high school, and had been my mom's bus driver when she was in school. He may not even still be with us.

[RedFanAlways1966]

By the way, does anyone know where the final baseball of the 1990 World Series is?

1990 was "the good old days". Before ebay and people with too much money (Todd McFarlane). I do not think too many people cared about the ball form the last out of a game. Even the last out of the World Series. If a pitcher threw a no-hitter, then he might get the ball from the last out. Not sure much else mattered... it was just a baseball.

[Jpup]

I don't know the rules in Ohio, but in KY, you have to be a teacher to be a coach. I don't know why, but I assume it's a teacher's union thing.

[dabvu2498]

Bumpety-bump.

Benzinger approved as East coach

LIBERTY TWP. — Two years ago, Todd Benzinger was picked to turn around a struggling girls basketball program at Loveland High School.

Now he's been asked to do the same at Lakota East.

Benzinger, 45, was approved at Monday's, May 12, school board meeting to replace Dave Honhart, who resigned in March after compiling a 17-89 record in five years.

"I'm excited," Benzinger said. "I'm looking forward to it. It will be a challenge. I know Dave worked really hard for five years and never could get things off the ground. I'm hoping to work just as hard and have success on the floor eventually."

Benzinger — whose contract was not renewed at Loveland after two seasons — was 30-12 at the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Buckeye Division school, including a 17-4 mark this past season. The season before he arrived at Loveland, the Tigers were 5-16.

"Experience, proven winner, program builder," East athletic director Jim Rouff said of Benzinger. "He turned around Loveland, and he had a tremendous track record at Seven Hills."

Benzinger also spent seven years as the head coach at Seven Hills, where he was 122-47 with five sectional championships and two district titles at the Division IV level.

Find this article at:
http://www.journal-news.com/s/conten...rtsdigest.html

BTW, Jim Rouff was a strength and conditioning coach for the Reds in the late 80s-early 90s while at the same time coaching Lakota (only one then) baseball.