Ironwood Ridge baseball coach Dennis Toia has stepped down, after helping the Nighthawks pull within one win of a state championship appearance twice in the last four seasons.
Toia, a graduate of Amphitheater High School, says he resigned to spend more time with his family. He has also accepted an offer to be an assistant coach at Pima College, under Jason Hisey.
“I’ll be able to spend the summers and holidays with my girls, with the flexibilities of being an assistant,” Toia said.
I-Ridge reached the winner semifinals of the Division II state tournament this sring before back-to-back losses cut its season short. The Nighthawks did the same in 2013, when they finished with a program-best 26 wins.
Toia posted a 129-54-2 record over six seasons with the team.
“It’s tough (to leave), there’s no doubt,” Toia said. “There are a lot of good, young baseball players in that program and I’m going to miss seeing them grow.”
