WATSONVILLE — Watsonville High cut ties with baseball coach Leroy Dozal two days after he was suspended indefinitely, the administration informed this newspaper on Wednesday morning.
Watsonville principal Elaine Legorreta wrote in an email that the program is going in a “direction consistent with our vision for the coaching staff” and that junior varsity coaches James Garza and P.J. Garza would take over for the remainder of the season.
The Wildcatz also added Watsonville alumnus Daniel Hernandez to the coaching staff as an assistant, and are looking to add another assistant for the remainder of the season.
“Human resources is supporting us in the search for a head coach and we are aware that the position may not be filled this season,” Legorreta wrote.
Legorreta was not willing to go into detail about why Dozal, who was hired just four months ago, was let go.
It is believed no criminal charges will be filed against Dozal, a special education teacher at Lakeview Middle School.
Dozal did not return emails or calls seeking comment by press time Wednesday.
Practice was canceled on Monday and Tuesday’s game against Alisal was postponed. The Wildcatz will return to the diamond on Thursday against Seaside, but had to pull out of next week’s Ryan Lemmon Invitational in Irvine.
An assistant at Christopher last season and a head coach at Anzar from 2000-07, Dozal took over the program for James Gomez, who led the team for 19 seasons.
The Wildcatz are 2-3 overall and 2-2 in Monterey Bay League Pacific division play after falling to cross-city rival Pajaro Valley last week in a stunning 7-2 loss, which allowed the Grizzlies to snap a 131-game losing streak against league opponents.
