The Belen School board accepted the resignation of Belen High School baseball coach Mike Gutierrez at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
Gutierrez, 33, headed the BHS baseball program for two seasons. During that span, the Eagles’ varsity team posted a 7-33 overall record.
Gutierrez could not be reached for comment this week.
The once-proud Eagle baseball program has fallen on hard times in recent years. Gutierrez was unable to resurrect a program that had won a total of 11 games in the three years prior to his hire.
Belen High School Athletic Director Danny Griego said the district will look for a new coach who can breath life back into the program. No timetable has been set to find a replacement.
Gutierrez came to Belen by way of Los Lunas, where he coached the Tiger baseball team for five seasons, leading them to two post-season playoff games. Under Gutierrez, the Tigers posted a 50-60 overall record. His teams advanced to play in pre-state tournament playoff games in 1996 and ’97 but lost both times.
Gutierrez, a Bloomfield native who attended New Mexico State University, resigned his position in Los Lunas after the 1999 season. After spending a year away from coaching, he was hired as the Eagles’ head coach.
Coming off a 7-15 season in 2000 under coach Mark Framel, the Eagles dropped to 4-17, 2-10 in District 3-4A play, in Gutierrez’s first year. This year, Belen finished the season 3-16, losing its last 14 in a row and failing to win a district game.
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April 18, 2024
