I just heard long time Highlands Coach Jeremy Baioni has stepped down from Head Coach. Hearing other opportunities have opened up on a personal and business level for him. Good luck Coach Baioni, you will be missed. 

From Fort Thomas Independent Schools.

The Fort Thomas Independent Schools would like to express our sincere gratitude to ?????? ?????? for the sixteen exceptional years in which he guided the Highlands Bluebirds baseball program.  Coach Baioni announced this week that he will be stepping down as the varsity head coach, a leadership role that Coach Baioni called “his dream” from 2009-2024.  In a letter sharing his decision, Coach Baioni wrote, “The past sixteen years have been some of the most rewarding of my life, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey.”

Coach Baioni oversaw a fabulous chapter in Highlands baseball history, complete with 9th Region championships, two state runner-up finishes (in 2015 and 2018), and during that time Coach Baioni and his staff mentored players who have gone on to play both collegiately and professionally.

Coach Baioni, however, always placed a premium on measuring success based on the kinds of people that the players eventually became.  If they used the life lessons taught through baseball to make a difference in their personal and professional lives, that, more than any outcome on a scoreboard, provided the true barometer of success.  Thank you, Coach, for providing that kind of leadership and perspective for our student-athletes.  To graduating seniors who were leaving the program, Coach Baioni often said, “Now go and be great.” 

We extend our best wishes to Coach Jeremy Baioni and his family and say thank you for his steadfast dedication to Highlands baseball.

Photo Courtesy:  Allen Ramsey

Jeremy is a good dude.   Wish him the best in his next endeavors.

What a wonderful coaching career!

For would be applicants as they say "Never be the guy that follows the legend.  Be the second guy."

Huge shoes to fill in a program that has been a model of success since Coach Baioni took over.

Keep in mind for those of you not old enough to realize that the program had taken a downward spiral when he took over and he "rebuilt" the program to its stature today.

From Fort Thomas Independent Schools on Facebook:

The Fort Thomas Independent Schools is very pleased to share that Highlands High School has hired Brian Benzinger as the next varsity baseball coach.
Mr. Benzinger takes over for Jeremy Baioni, who stepped down after sixteen years at the helm of the Bluebirds baseball program.  During that time, Highlands twice finished as the state runner-up and developed student-athletes who went on to play collegiately and professionally.
Coach Benzinger presided over the varsity program at New Richmond (OH) High School for twenty seasons, and guided the Highlands freshmen baseball team to a fantastic season in 2024.
Please join us in congratulating Coach Benzinger on a well-deserved promotion to the varsity level at Highlands!  See you soon at Highland Hills Park.