John Altobelli

John Edward Altobelli (May 8, 1963 – January 26, 2020) was an American college baseball coach who worked for 27 seasons at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. During his career, he led the Pirates to four California state junior college titles and in 2019 was named National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association. In January 2020, Altobelli, along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, which also killed basketball player Kobe Bryant.

Early life and education

Altobelli was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 8, 1963. He was the sixth of seven children. His father, Jim Altobelli, was a professional baseball player.

Altobelli graduated from Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California. He enrolled at Golden West College, where he played college baseball for the Golden West Rustlers as an outfielder. He transferred to the University of Houston, where he finished his college baseball career with the Houston Cougars from 1984 to 1985 and was a captain on the baseball team. In 1984, his junior season, Altobelli led the Cougars in runs batted in (34), runs scored (47), and triples (three). He shared leads in doubles (14) and stolen bases (eight). As a senior in 1985, Altobelli had a single-season record 57 walks and led the team in runs scored (68) and stolen bases (13).

After his senior season, Altobelli played briefly in the 1985 season for the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League, which at that time was an independent full-season Class A team. Altobelli returned to school after playing only 15 games. He graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1987. In 1988, he earned his master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific University.