SAN MARCOS —— After one season as both athletic director and head football coach at San Marcos High, Rick Ashby has decided to hand off the coaching reins to Desi Herrera. Herrera, who served as defensive coordinator on Ashby's staff last season, was the head football coach at Serra in 2003. He led the Conquistadors to a 7-4 record, losing in the CIF quarterfinals to University.

Herrera spent four seasons at Mission Bay, three as an assistant and one as the head coach when the Buccaneers were 9-3 in 2002, losing to St. Augustine in the CIF semifinals.

He is also in his first season as head baseball coach at San Marcos.

In addition to Herrera's appointment, Ashby announced Michelle Hobbs has been named head softball coach, Mike Bixler will take over the swimming program and Paul Savage has been named trainer. He is taking over for longtime trainer Curt Caspersen, who has retired.

Hobbs, who played collegiately at Chico State, was head softball coach at Madison last season and was head coach at Kearny in 2003.

Bixler has been involved with the swimming program at Oceanside for several years.

Savage has worked at Escondido and Palomar College as a trainer.

"I was putting in 15- to 18-hour days," Ashby said. "I found that as an athletic director, I was ignoring things that needed to be done in football. And as an athletic director, I wasn't giving my full attention to football.

"I was always tired, and I haven't been 100 percent healthy in more than a year."

A longtime assistant coach at San Marcos and Torrey Pines, Ashby was a head coach for the first time last season. He led the Knights to a 7-5 season, a spot in the playoffs and was named the North County Times' Coach of the Year in football for turning a struggling San Marcos program around.

"Absolutely, this was a tough decision," Ashby said. "I got into athletics to coach. But this is the right decision. I found that I really enjoy being the athletic director. I think I can better serve the school by focusing on one job.

"This was the right time because we had a person of Desi's quality on staff. He's a very positive, very energetic person. He has great enthusiasm and the kids really respond to him."

Herrera started his college career as a football player at Tennessee State. He transferred to San Diego State and lettered in 1995 and '96 as a pitcher on the baseball team.

He was drafted in the ninth round by Cincinnati and played minor-league ball in the Reds system.

"This is a great fit," Herrera said. "This opportunity is why I made the move from Mission Bay. I was fortunate after college to get hooked up with Dennis Pugh at Mission Bay. He's a great friend and mentor. He has coached football and baseball for many years, and I hope I can do the same.

"We have a great support staff at San Marcos. I'm confident with the support of Rick Ashby and (principal) Nancy Peterson, we can make this work."

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.