One year ago: John Scolinos

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John Scolinos was a Southern California baseball coach at Pepperdine University and Cal Poly Pomona who left a behind a much-heralded legacy of victory. He died one year ago at age 91.

Scolinos coached 14 seasons (1946-1960) at Pepperdine before becoming head coach at Pomona in 1962. There, he turned the program into a powerhouse, winning Division II national championships in 1976, 1980 and 1983.

He also won six California College Athletic Assn. championships and was named Division II coach of the year three times.

He retired in 1991 with a combined 1,198 victories and was inducted into the American Assn. of Collegiate Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1974.

‘The good thing about coaching in a college atmosphere, a good atmosphere like this, is that it’s constantly changing,’ Scolinos told The Times in 1987. ‘The kids keep it interesting. Every season is like a new life cycle.’

Before coaching, Scolinos played semipro baseball and served in the Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945.

For more on the baseball coach, read John Scolinos’ obituary by The Times.

-- Michael Farr