Benito Ivan Santiago was hired in August of 2023 as an MDC softball assistant coach.

He is the son of five-time All-Star catcher Benito Santiago. The elder Santiago was also a four-time-winner of the Silver Slugger Award and a three-time Gold Glove winner who was inducted into the Padres’ Hall of Fame in 2015.

The younger Santiago, who is a Black Belt in karate, was a catcher for Coral Springs Christian Academy when his alma mater made it to Florida’s state semifinals in 2014. He then played four years at the University of Tennessee, starting for three seasons.

While at Tennessee, he earned a Bachelor’s degree, majoring in Communications with a minor in Information Technology.

In 2018, he was drafted in the 34^th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

After his minor-league career ended in 2019, Santiago took his wealth of knowledge back to Pembroke Pines, where he started giving lessons to baseball and softball players.

That work led him to earning his job at MDC, where he is determined to continue his legacy in the sport.

“Paying attention to detail translates to baseball or softball,” Santiago said. “In fact, coaching is better in softball because the women listen more, which gives them a chance at the best possible outcome.”