Former Bellarmine football coach Diaz-Infante says he was fired, disputes school’s characterization of his departure
David Diaz-Infante did not resign as Bellarmine’s head football coach, he told the Bay Area News Group on Monday.
Bellarmine’s news release last week announcing Diaz-Infante’s departure said the Bells’ coach was “stepping down from the position.”
But Diaz-Infante said that was not accurate.
“I did not resign verbally or in writing,” Diaz-Infante told this news organization. “The school informed me they had chosen to move in a different direction.”
Diaz-Infante said he met with Bellarmine president Chris Meyercord on the Tuesday morning after Bellarmine’s season ended, and Meyercord informed him he would not be returning to the sideline.
“What am I gonna say?” Diaz-Infante said. “I’ve been fired, I’ve been cut before. If he thinks that they had to move in a different direction, and he thinks that’s best for the school, then that’s … I respect it. I don’t like it, and I don’t agree with it, but I respect it.”
Bellarmine athletic director Kevin Saldivar, who emailed the news release about Diaz-Infante’s departure last week, said on Monday: “The press release is the school’s official statement regarding the end of Coach Diaz-Infante’s tenure as head coach of Bellarmine’s program.”
Though Diaz-Infante is unhappy with the way the school handled his dismissal, he expressed regret that he couldn’t turn things around during his three years in charge of the Bells.
The Bells struggled to compete under Diaz-Infante in the 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 with rosters that were overmatched.
“It’s been an honor to be there, and I wish I could have done more,” said Diaz-Infante, who won two Super Bowls as a offensive lineman with the Denver Broncos in the late 1990s. “I’m not big on regrets, but I wish I could have done more to overcome my circumstances. And in the end, it wasn’t enough. And I understand that, and that’s perfectly within their rights.”
Diaz-Infante plans to attend the end-of-season banquet with his players and was able to meet with the Bellarmine team to share his final message with them.
“I want to have some closure for our young men in our program and the families and alumni, and I want them to know how I feel about the process,” Diaz-Infante said.
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