Pope John Paul II announces Sydney Loupe Gandy as new softball coach

Pope John Paul II High School is excited to announce the new hire for our softball program. Mrs. Sydney Loupe Gandy class of 2014, will be taking over as head coach of the PJP girls softball program.

Coach Jeff Benedic has decided to step down after four amazing years bringing the program back to prominence. Coach Benedic has brought a winning culture, with 4 playoff victories, reaching the quarterfinals in 3 straight years. Coach Benedic has spent countless hours renovating the softball field and its surrounding areas, along with helping organize the completion of the Lady Jags Softball locker room. Coach Jeff Benedic has left a lasting impression on the program and we are grateful for his contributions. Coach Benedic has always wanted to hand the reigns to Coach Gandy and he couldn’t be more excited for the direction of the program.

Coach Sydney Gandy is extremely happy to be returning to the place where her career began. Coach Gandy was a successful student-athlete while attending PJP. During her time as a Lady Jag, she was a very talented catcher, 3 time all-district player, and was all-metro and all-state her senior year. After high school, Coach Gandy went on to play softball at LSU where she had 3 Women’s College World Series Appearances, was a 2 time SEC honor roll, and graduated with a degree in sports administration.

Following college, Coach Gandy begin her coaching career at Cabrini where they were district champions in 2019 and 2024, and she was Coach of the year in 2019. Coach Gandy also married her high school sweetheart in 2020, and they have one year old twins. Assistant Coaches: Marian Eades, Shane Rodriguez, and Shelby Wickersham will all be returning to help guide the team for the 2025 season. Coach Gandy is looking forward to working with her new staff. She already has a close relationship with Coach Eades from her playing days and with Coach Wickersham through their connection to LSU softball.