Coronado baseball coach Padilla resigns

Coronado has a new baseball coach just days before its season opener.

Athletic director Rich Santigate said David Padilla resigned as coach on Monday.

Santigate and Padilla both declined to go into details over what caused the abrupt resignation.

“Just some philosophical differences,” Santigate said.

Coronado opens the season against Legacy on Thursday.

Padilla coached the Cougars for eight seasons, leading them to the playoffs every year. Coronado won the Division I state championship in 2013 and was second in 2012. The Cougars won the Sunrise Region title in both of those seasons.

The Cougars were 19-17 last season and finished third in the Southeast League. They lost 6-5 to Green Valley in the Sunrise Region title game. Arbor View defeated Coronado 10-8 in a Division I state play-in game.

“I’ll be back in coaching again,” Padilla said. “I’m going to take a little time with my family and see what I want to do next.”

Santigate, who also is the school’s girls basketball coach, said he would take over on an interim basis.

“I’m probably going to be there the rest of the season, and then we’ll evaluate at the end of the season,” Santigate said.