SAN JOSE — David Diaz-Infante has stepped down as Bellarmine’s head football coach after three seasons, the school announced Tuesday night.
Bellarmine praised Diaz-Infante, a 1982 graduate of the San Jose private school, for his leadership and development of the program’s young men.
But the Bells struggled to compete under the coach in the powerful West Catholic Athletic League, going 0-14 in league games the past two seasons and 1-20 over the three.
They finished 4-26 overall under Diaz-Infante, who won two Super Bowl championships as an offensive lineman with the Denver Broncos in the late 1990s.
To be fair, the Bellarmine roster wasn’t nearly at the level needed to compete in a league as strong as the WCAL, which will likely be the focus of the school as it continues to find its footing in an era where the top teams have major college talent on the lines and at the skill positions.
Bellarmine, one of the Central Coast Section’s bluebloods, was simply overmatched.
In its news release, Bellarmine credited Diaz-Infante for helping to “shape new traditions for the program, including the annual Salute to Service game and the preseason overnight training experience with a Navy SEAL.”
“As a Bellarmine alumnus, Coach Diaz-Infante has been an outstanding leader and mentor for these young men,” athletic director said Kevin Saldivar said in the release. “He has taken the lessons he learned in his own time as a student-athlete and passed them on to a new generation of Bells. His impact will continue to be felt within our football community for years to come.”
Added Principal Rod Jemison in a statement, “Coach Diaz-Infante’s commitment to developing great football players, and even greater young men, has left a meaningful mark on our community. His leadership has helped build a tremendous foundation for the program’s future.”
The school said it will begin its search for a new coach immediately. Inquiries should be directed to Saldivar.