Online Extra: Pieroway returns, Soto resigns as baseball coach

By James Kelley

Pima Community College men’s basketball head coach Karl Pieroway will return to the school after resigning. Pending approval from the governing board, both Pieroway and women’s basketball head coach Todd Holthaus will now be full-time coaches.

In other developments, Edgar Soto stepped down as athletic director in a dramatic restructuring of the athletic department.

Pieroway resigned on April 20, citing the difficulties of trying to coach a college team while also working as a middle school teacher. PCC announced on May 4 that he had agreed to return.

“This is a great opportunity for me. I appreciate the chance to continue to work with the players in making our team one of the up-and-coming programs in the nation,” Pieroway said in a press release.

In Pieroway’s two seasons at the helm, he led the men’s team from after-thought to almost a national championship. The team finished seventh at the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament, losing only to the eventual national champions. The year before Pieroway started, Pima men were 7-23.

“It will impact the student athletes by providing continuity, with coach Pieroway staying on as the coach, which will just help him and the student athletes on the team take what they are doing and what they have done to the next level,” said Rachelle Howell, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing.

Soto, the executive director of athletics, will step down as baseball head coach to focus on managing the athletic department. The position of assistant athletic director, held by Jerry Stitt, will be eliminated.

The press release said the reorganization “will allow the college to more efficiently utilize resources, better serve its student-athletes and build on the successes of its programs.” Pima’s only previous full-time coach was football head coach Pat Nugent, who was hired in January 2009.

Soto stepped down from the baseball coaching job “so that he can devote his full energies to managing the athletics department,” the release said. Pima will immediately start a search for a new baseball coach.

“Several of Pima’s teams have made it onto the national stage recently, and I want to do everything I can to help us grow our programs and capitalize on those successes,” Soto said in a press release.

The baseball team finished 21-33-1 and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. Soto went 359-286-2 at Pima and produced five Major Leaguers, including pitcher D.J. Carrasco, currently on the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitcher Tim Wood, currently a Florida Marlin. Soto also was head coach of the U.S. National baseball team.

Stitt was hired in September 2008. His salary is $40,040, according to Volume 58 Issue 2 of the Aztec. Stitt took over the University of Arizona baseball team from 1997-2001 after being a long time assistant coach. He also coached at Salpointe Catholic High School and Grand Canyon High School, and was the hitting instructor for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Rookie team.

Holthaus turned the women’s basketball program from a laughingstock to a national power. This year the Aztecs finished fifth at the NJCAA national tournament and last year they finished third. The year before Holthaus was hired, Pima was 5-22.

The PCC’s Board of Governors still must approve the full-time hiring of Pieroway and Holthaus. Their next meeting is May 12.

Check AztecPressOnline.com this summer for coaching updates.