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.