Maria Carrillo High baseball coach Derek DeBenedetti leaving for Cardinal Newman High

Derek DeBenedetti has been attending night school earn his teaching certificate with the goal of becoming an on-campus coach and teacher.

Both will be coming true for him soon as he finishes his credentialing program and takes over the head baseball coaching duties at his alma mater, Cardinal Newman High School.

After seven years at Maria Carrillo, DeBenedetti is leaving to fill an opening at Newman after administrators at the private Catholic school north of Santa Rosa let longtime coach T.J. McMahon go after this season ended.

DeBenedetti is a long-term substitute teacher at Carrillo now and has been the head coach for seven years after serving as assistant for several years. He said he should be teaching math at Newman next school year.

Administrators held a meeting Monday night to introduce DeBenedetti to parents and students.

“It’s an opportunity to teach and coach at my alma mater. That’s something that’s very special to me,” said DeBenedetti, a 1994 Newman grad. “All the years I spent here at Carrillo are meaningful to me and it was very difficult to process leaving that behind.

“It’s kind of like going home. That’s where I spent my four years in high school, the most formative years of my life. Who I am was fostered by my time in Newman.”

At the same time, though, he was sad to leave Carrillo, whose program he led to the playoffs every year he was in charge.

“One of the things that has allowed me to be successful at Carrillo is the strength of support from families and a tremendous group of kids every year,” he said. “I’ve been extremely fortunate. That is the most difficult part of making the transition - all the people I’ve built relationships with and respect.”

In DeBenedetti’s seven years, Carrillo finished first or second six times, made the North Bay League playoffs every season, advanced to the North Coast Sectionals each year. Overall, his Pumas were 123-66.

McMahon left last month after a putting up a 193-106 overall record at Newman in 11 years as head coach and 20 overall. Several parents expressed displeasure with him, which he acknowledged was a disappointing part of being the coach.

Newman had only one losing season under McMahon and 43 of his athletes went on to play baseball in college.

DeBenedetti has been attending a special night school program through the Sonoma County Office of Education to receive his teaching credential with the goal of being an on-campus teacher and coach.

“My thought was I’d be doing that here at Maria Carrillo,” he said, but then Newman officials called.

The night program allowed DeBenedetti to work during the day and still coach at Carrillo, though he did miss some practice time for class.

His wife, Lindy, is a special education teacher in Santa Rosa and the couple has three boys under age 5, including an infant.

“She’s been incredible,” he said. “To be able to go back to school at night and coach and work, without her constant support, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.