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KNOXVILLE — A Sunday Southern California helicopter crash devastated the basketball world when it took the life of legendary Kobe Bryant.
The college baseball world also lost a pivotal figure as Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli died in the crash along with Bryant and seven others. The crash also claimed the life of Bryant’s 13-year old daughter and Altobelli’s wife and one of his daughters.
Altobelli died just two days before his Pirates were to begin the 2020 season and defense of their 2019 California Junior College State championship.
Altobelli, 56, won four state championships with Orange Coast and won 705 games in 27 years in Costa Mesa in the Orange Empire Conference, one of the Golden State’s top leagues.
University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson both knew Altobelli well and were saddened by his sudden passing.
“John was a great human being and an incredible baseball man with a mile-long list of contributions to the game,” Vitello said in a UT press release. “John’s family, as well as the families of the others lost in the accident, will be in our thoughts and prayers during these difficult times.”
Anderson agreed.
“John was a great guy and a fantastic baseball coach who did so much for college baseball,” Anderson said. “My thoughts are with his family.”
In addition to coaching the Pirates for nearly three decades, Altobelli, who played college baseball at the University of Houston, coached in the Cape Cod League from 2011-14.
He was the head coach of the Brewster White Caps for three seasons.
In Brewster, he coached former Volunteers Andrew Lee and Drew Steckenrider.
Lee said that Altobelli was a great baseball coach who genuinely cared for his players.
“Coach Altobelli was a great man who cared for every guy that had the privilege to play for him,” Lee said. “He coached and taught in a way that made everybody want to pull on the same rope, which is hard to achieve in a league with so much talent.
“John helped many of us on our journey to becoming men and I’m deeply saddened to hear this tragic news. My thoughts prayers go out to his family and the families of everyone involved.”
