John Altobelli led the baseball program at Orange Coast College from 1993-2019, posting a 705-478-4 (.594) record over 27 seasons that made him the winningest coach in school history. In 2019, he became just the 16th coach in California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) history to reach the 700-win mark. He passed away in January 2020.
Under Altobelli, the Pirates took home their first of four California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state titles in 2009 and followed that up with back-to- back championship wins in 2014 and 2015.
After setting a school record for wins in a single season (39) and capturing the Orange Empire Conference for the third straight year, the Pirates won their fourth state title under Altobelli in 2019, a season in which Altobelli earned ABCA/Diamond Sports Pacific Association Division National Coach of the Year honors.
With the 2019 title win, Altobelli became just the fifth coach in CCCAA baseball history to win four or more state championships. He remains tied for third-most with ABCA Hall of Fame coach Dennis Rogers, who also collected four state titles during his coaching career. Only Wally Kincaid (Cerritos) and Scott Pickler (Cypress), also members of the ABCA Hall of Fame, won more CCCAA state titles.
In all, Altobelli’s teams captured seven conference crowns on their way to making eight State Final Four appearances. For his career, Altobelli earned CCCAA State Coach of the Year honors four times in addition to his eight conference Coach of the Year honors. He was also named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Regional Coach of the Year for Southern California in 2009 and 2018.
As a player, Altobelli was a standout outfielder at both Newport Harbor High School and then at Golden West College. Altobelli transferred to the University of Houston, where he was a team captain and two-year starter in the Cougar outfield. As a senior, he led the Cougars to the NCAA Regional finals, bringing them one game from advancing to the College World Series. Following college, Altobelli played one season of professional baseball with the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League.
While at Orange Coast, Altobelli also managed the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League from 2012-14. Prior to his tenure at Orange Coast which began in 1992, Altobelli served as an assistant at UC Irvine and the University of Houston.
Altobelli earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Houston in 1987 before earning a master’s degree in education from Azusa Pacific University the following year.
