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There was only one school where Sam Ramirez was interested in taking over as head softball coach.
Newman — his alma mater.
After 10 years as an assistant coach under Candi Rogers at Dixon, the 1994 NCCHS graduate said the time was right.
“It’s an opportunity that I’ve been thinking about for a while,” he said. “I can’t thank Dixon High School enough. I learned a lot from coach Rogers and the whole entire program over there for a lot of years.”
It will be a sort of homecoming for Ramirez. He graduated from Newman the year after the softball program began.
“If I was ever going to leave Dixon, it would have been for Newman, because that’s sort of for me, going home,” he said. “It’s sort of a full-circle moment.”
Ramirez is excited for the players set to return and hopes to get the Comets back to competing for regional titles. His staff is still being finalized, and he will meet with the team once the school year gets started.
He said the team will have seven returning starters.
At Dixon, Ramirez was in charge of getting scouting reports together and preparing for the opponents. He also coached first base.
He said the main thing he wants to bring to the team is positivity.
“I’ve never been the kind of coach who yells; that’s just not who I am,” he said. “But at the same time, I expect respect, and I think that’s the thing I want to bring.”
Ramirez is looking forward to getting the team back in the win column after a 9-18 season. He is Newman’s third coach in three years, following Madison Koerner and Charlie Woodward. Newman last won a regional title in 2024 under Koerner.
“That’s kind of a goal of mine is to get this team back to where it was,” Ramirez said. “I remember when coach JD Waldschmidt took that team down to state in 2015.
“I remember my wife and I going down as fans to watch and they had a really good team that year. Newman is used to winning regionals. I truly believe, based on what I’ve read and based on what I’ve watched, that we have the talent to compete for a regional next year.”
The Comets have won eight regional titles and finished fourth at state in 2015.
Newman has a solid base of players returning. Ramirez also hopes to grow the team’s numbers.
“What I would really like to do is be able to build that JV program back, so I’m hoping that some of the girls that have maybe been on the fence about going out, go out for the sport,” he said. “I’m hoping to meet with as many people as I can. I think the more people who are excited about it, maybe the girls will be excited and maybe they’ll come out.”
Ramirez is confident the team can get back to its winning ways after its first losing season since 2021.
“I know we’ve got the pitching, the fielding, the catching,” he said. “I just think we can compete with these teams.”
Outside of softball, Ramirez has worked in local radio since 1994. He is the program director and sports director at Shaw Local Radio’s River Country 101.7. He will also be calling Newman football games this fall for 95.7 The Rock.
Ramirez said he’s had a warm welcome since he was hired as softball coach.
“I have honestly not gone a day without somebody shaking my hand, saying, ‘Hey, congratulations on that new coaching job,’” he said. “I think people are excited. I know I’m excited.”
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Newman — his alma mater.
After 10 years as an assistant coach under Candi Rogers at Dixon, the 1994 NCCHS graduate said the time was right.
“It’s an opportunity that I’ve been thinking about for a while,” he said. “I can’t thank Dixon High School enough. I learned a lot from coach Rogers and the whole entire program over there for a lot of years.”
It will be a sort of homecoming for Ramirez. He graduated from Newman the year after the softball program began.
“If I was ever going to leave Dixon, it would have been for Newman, because that’s sort of for me, going home,” he said. “It’s sort of a full-circle moment.”
Ramirez is excited for the players set to return and hopes to get the Comets back to competing for regional titles. His staff is still being finalized, and he will meet with the team once the school year gets started.
He said the team will have seven returning starters.
At Dixon, Ramirez was in charge of getting scouting reports together and preparing for the opponents. He also coached first base.
He said the main thing he wants to bring to the team is positivity.
“I’ve never been the kind of coach who yells; that’s just not who I am,” he said. “But at the same time, I expect respect, and I think that’s the thing I want to bring.”
Ramirez is looking forward to getting the team back in the win column after a 9-18 season. He is Newman’s third coach in three years, following Madison Koerner and Charlie Woodward. Newman last won a regional title in 2024 under Koerner.
“That’s kind of a goal of mine is to get this team back to where it was,” Ramirez said. “I remember when coach JD Waldschmidt took that team down to state in 2015.
“I remember my wife and I going down as fans to watch and they had a really good team that year. Newman is used to winning regionals. I truly believe, based on what I’ve read and based on what I’ve watched, that we have the talent to compete for a regional next year.”
The Comets have won eight regional titles and finished fourth at state in 2015.
Newman has a solid base of players returning. Ramirez also hopes to grow the team’s numbers.
“What I would really like to do is be able to build that JV program back, so I’m hoping that some of the girls that have maybe been on the fence about going out, go out for the sport,” he said. “I’m hoping to meet with as many people as I can. I think the more people who are excited about it, maybe the girls will be excited and maybe they’ll come out.”
Ramirez is confident the team can get back to its winning ways after its first losing season since 2021.
“I know we’ve got the pitching, the fielding, the catching,” he said. “I just think we can compete with these teams.”
Outside of softball, Ramirez has worked in local radio since 1994. He is the program director and sports director at Shaw Local Radio’s River Country 101.7. He will also be calling Newman football games this fall for 95.7 The Rock.
Ramirez said he’s had a warm welcome since he was hired as softball coach.
“I have honestly not gone a day without somebody shaking my hand, saying, ‘Hey, congratulations on that new coaching job,’” he said. “I think people are excited. I know I’m excited.”
Continue reading...
