Cardinal Newman Hires Alum Sean Comfort As New Baseball Manager

Cardinal Newman recently announced that alumnus Sean Comfort has returned to the school to manage the baseball team.

Comfort, who graduated from Newman in 1990 after four standout years with the baseball and basketball programs, replaces interim coach Daniel Prieto. This past season Prieto took over for legendary Crusaders coach Jack Kokinda, who won 703 games in a 41-year career at the school before taking an unexpected leave of absence just prior to the start of the 2012 season.

Kokinda recently announced his official retirement.

Prieto led the Crusaders to a 9-15 record this past season, but decided to step aside from the head coaching role after he recently received a promotion at his job that will require too much of his time to allow him to focus the attention the Crusaders baseball program requires.

“I am just very appreciative of the opportunity they gave me here,” Prieto said. “It was an absolute pleasure. For the school to allow a 26-year old assistant to take over such a storied program from a coach like Jack Kokinda was just an absolute honor. I loved coaching this team this year and I will always love and support Cardinal Newman.”

Prieto and Comfort had both previously served together as assistants under Kokinda, and Prieto remarked that he was happy to hear the team will be in the hands of a trusted and capable friend.

Comfort previously spent the past six years serving as the Athletic Director and Physical Education coach at All Saints Catholic School in Jupiter. He also previously had served as an assistant for Coach Kokinda from 2006-2010, during which time the team won five district championships. He also played college baseball at Trenton State in New Jersey.

“This is a great opportunity and I love the game so much,” Comfort said. “I helped make a name for All Saints the last few years and I am very experienced in coaching. I’m ready for it. I love to win, but who doesn’t? It was my personal goal to someday coach my alma mater, but I know I have some big shoes to fill.”

Comfort is only the third coach to ever run the baseball program, which is a Newman tradition in its athletics. The football team also has only had three coaches in its history, with former coach Sam Budnyk having served the majority of those years while mirroring both Kokinda and the school’s standards in his respective program.

Although now officially enjoying his retirement, Coach Kokinda still remains an active and enthusiastic resource for the team and particularly for his former pupil whom now will maintain the helm.

“I joked with Jack that he doesn’t have to worry about his all-time school record,” Comfort teased. “Jack has been a mentor who I looked up to; and he is the reason I got into coaching. He solidified for me why Newman was where I wanted to stay and coach. His daily approach is instilled in me; I have his work ethic built into me and we have similar practice habits and team visions. My practices may have a little more flavor, but both Coach Prieto and I knew we wouldn’t want to coach anywhere else in high school. It would not be the same fit after learning Jack’s style.”

Comfort will also coach Physical Education at the school, which is something he admits serves as a great advantage.

“I wanted to teach there,” he said. “Being on campus with the kids day-in and day-out will make a huge difference.”

Coach Prieto agrees that Coach Comfort’s background as an educator will be incredibly useful in molding the Crusaders young team back into a contender.

“He has a strong background in education and he can relate to the kids,” Prieto said. “Teaching will enhance his ability to coach the team.”

While Coach Prieto has not ruled out returning next season as an assistant coach, he is among many other Newman supporters who are pleased to know that this legendary program is in the right hands.

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