Soccer season is ready to get under way on Nov. 1, and the San
Benito Haybalers will be led by a new head coach.
San Benito High School Athletic Director Tod Thatcher announced
Tuesday that Tony Deras will take over the head coaching duties for
the varsity boys soccer program this season, replacing former head
coach Ramiro Ramos.
HOLLISTER
Soccer season is ready to get under way on Nov. 1, and the San Benito Haybalers will be led by a new head coach.
San Benito High School Athletic Director Tod Thatcher announced Tuesday that Tony Deras will take over the head coaching duties for the varsity boys soccer program this season, replacing former head coach Ramiro Ramos.
Thatcher said Deras was selected among three different candidates for the position.
“I liked his enthusiasm and his vision for the program,” Thatcher said on Tuesday, noting Deras’ coaching background at the club level.
Deras could not be reached for comment at press time.
He is currently listed as the head coach of Elite SC Independent, a 15-and-under competitive boys soccer team in the South San Jose Youth Soccer League.
Thatcher said this will be Deras’ first head coaching position at the high school level.
“He’s got the tactical side. He just needs to get his feet wet with the coaching,” Thatcher said. “But we really liked his vision for the program.”
Deras takes over a team that went 6-12-1 overall last season and 3-8-1 in the Tri-County Athletic League to finish in seventh place, in what was an otherwise up-and-down 2009-10 campaign.
The team’s head coach at the start of last season, Ramiro Ramos, had coached the Balers since 2008 but departed the team in late January following charges alleging he and three other executives at San Andreas HVAC took kickbacks from workers on public jobs requiring prevailing wages for the employees.
Ramos finished his coaching tenure at San Benito with a 10-19-3 overall record, 4-11-3 in the TCAL.
Matt Andrade and Patrick Nolan coached the remaining six games of the season on an interim level, beginning with the Feb. 1 contest at Palma. The two coaches led the Balers to a 1-5 TCAL record to close out the season.
Winter sports, including boys soccer, will begin practices on Nov. 1. San Benito’s first scheduled game, meanwhile, will be against Gonzales on Dec. 2, with its first home match coming Dec. 9 against Soledad.
