In seven years as head coach, Jimmy Beno built Suncoast High’s baseball program into a playoff contender.
In his new job, he hopes to compete regularly for state championships.
Beno has been named head coach at Dwyer, replacing Jordan Yamamoto, who led the Panthers to their first state title in 2024. Yamamoto, a former MLB pitcher, stepped down in late April after three seasons.
“It’s one of the top programs in the state,” Beno said. “There’s a lot of exceptional talent there.”
Beno took over a downtrodden program at Suncoast in 2020 and compiled a 98-63 record, leading the Chargers to five consecutive winning seasons, three regional appearances and a district title. He previously served as an assistant coach at Oxbridge Academy and King’s Academy.
At Dwyer, Beno takes over a team with a strong core of returning talent, including two of the county’s top sophomores in first baseman/outfielder Owen Hewitt and pitcher Kole Griffin. The Panthers finished 15-9 this season, losing to Lake Minneola in the Class 6A regional quarterfinals.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” he said.
Beno said it was a difficult decision to leave Suncoast, which had little success in baseball before his arrival.
“I can take comfort in knowing it’s a better place than when I got there,” he said. “I said I’d help in the transition. I want to see Suncoast continue to have success.”
Somerset-Canyons girls basketball coaching change
Anthony McCutcheon, who led Somerset Academy-Canyons to the state Class 3A championship this past season, is the new head coach at Wellington Sports Academy.
The Cougars finished 24-4 and were the state’s No. 1 overall team in the final MaxPreps rankings.
McCutcheon, who built the program into a powerhouse in five seasons, said in a social media posting that Somerset “will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Wellington Sports Academy opened last fall, fielding multiple middle school and high school baseball teams. The Gators now plan to expand to other sports, with boys and girls basketball scheduled to begin play in 2026-27.
In a statement, Wellington said that McCutcheon brings “elite leadership, a deep understanding of the game and a proven track record of developing high-level student-athletes.”
On May 27, Somerset-Canyons announced the hiring of Jason Pinnock as McCutcheon’s successor at girls basketball head coach.
His top returning scorer with the Cougars will be Alana Pinnock, a rising junior who averaged 15.7 points per game last season and holds multiple Division I offers, including the University of Florida.
Oxbridge Academy football new head coach
Mike Colee is the new head coach at Oxbridge Academy after serving as an assistant at Benjamin, Oxbridge and Dwyer, where he was offensive coordinator last season.
“Mike is a high-energy leader who is passionate about developing student-athletes and building a disciplined, competitive culture,” Stan Ross, Oxbridge’s director of athletics, said in a statement.
The ThunderWolves revived their program in 2023 after a five-year absence. They went 0-11 last season.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County coaching moves: Jimmy Beno takes over Dwyer baseball
Reporting by Rick Robb, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
