Leto stays in the family – names Bobby Pizzio head coach
Leto’s longtime head track and golf coach has officially been named as the Falcons head baseball coach, replacing his older brother JJ, who stepped down in July.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
TAMPA – Leto has named Robert “Bobby” Pizzio as its next head baseball coach. He has spent eight seasons as the school’s golf coach, and will continue in that role, but will step down as the track & field coach at the school after 13 seasons.
Bobby will replace his brother JJ, who stepped down in late July to help care for his wife as she underwent medical treatment.
Bobby said he and his brother talked about the decision prior to JJ stepping down, and he was excited about the opportunity. He also hoped it gave his brother some peace about his decision to leave the program he’d spent the last 19 seasons building – including a pair of FHSAA Final Four runs in 2018 and 2019.
“Someone asked me the other day, ‘did you get the job yet? Because it’s kind of hard to imagine Leto Baseball without a Pizzio,’” Bobby said. “It’s kind of cool we’ve made that kind of impact. So, when the school gave me this opportunity, there was no way I was going to pass it up.”
Though the succession plan was seemingly in place, the Leto administration changed just prior to the school year, but things became official for Pizzio this week.
“There is a pretty big family legacy over here,” Bobby said, “I’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
The Pizzio Family has deep roots in baseball in West Tampa, as JJ and Bobby’s father John was a longtime youth recreational baseball coach, as well as launching the baseball program at Seminole Presbyterian (now Cambridge Christian), and serving as an assistant coach at Tampa Catholic and Plant. Their father’s dedication to Tampa’s youth athletics prior to his passing in 1997 inspired both his sons to give back through coaching.
“I am excited to see my brother continue our father’s legacy as a head baseball coach in the Tampa area, and I have full confidence in his leadership for the Leto Falcons,” JJ Pizzio said. “I was extremely blessed over the past 19 years as a Falcon and now my brother will continue that passion as the head coach with his great leadership qualities and baseball knowledge.”
Bobby Pizzio is no stranger to the Falcons’ baseball program, having served as an assistant baseball coach before and during the high school playing years of his son Coltin Pizzio, who was a two-time All-813Preps All-Defense Team selection and is now a senior playing for Eckerd College.
“I don’t think my brother would have ever left if he didn’t have a plan in place,” Bobby Pizzio said. “He has invested so much for 20 years now, and more than 20 in coaching. So, this is a neat opportunity and I want to keep it going. This is much more than baseball, Leto is a part of our family. I’ll have Coltin involved, and my youngest son (Cooper) is going to play now.”
Pizzio is a Varying Exceptionalities teacher at Leto – teaching math to the school’s ESE students – and said his main focus right away will start off the diamond first.
“I think my main focus right away is academics,” he said. “I think we have to improve upon that, so we can get more kids to the next level, and I hope our kids see that academics are a big part of reaching those goals.”
He also previously served as the head coach of Leto’s club hockey team, which played in the Tampa Bay Lightning sponsored Lightning Conference League. He now serves as an advisor for the Lightning’s program.
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