Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli was among the victims in the helicopter crash that also killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, according to ESPN.
Altobelli's wife Keri and daughter Alyssa also died in the crash, which killed nine people in total Sunday:
Christina Mauser, an assistant coach for an Orange County private elementary school basketball team, was also killed in the crash:
"My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash," her husband, Matt Mauser, wrote in a Facebook post, per Jon Passantino of CNN.com. "Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much."
OCC athletic director Jason Kehler released a statement following the news of Altobelli's death:
"John meant so much to not only Orange Coast College, but to baseball. He truly personified what it means to be a baseball coach. The passion that he put into the game, but more importantly his athletes, was second to none -- he treated them like family. Our deepest condolences go out to the Altobelli family during this time of tragedy."
New York Mets outfielder Jeff McNeil, who played for Altobelli, also reflected upon his life:
Other MLB players to play for Altobelli included Aaron Judge, Scott Kingery, Michael Lorenzen, Braden Bishop, Ryon Healy, Luke Weaver Austin Voth, per Manny Randhawa of MLB.com.
According to ESPN, the 56-year-old Altobelli spent 27 years coaching Orange Coast College's baseball team, accumulating over 700 wins and four state titles.
Read 0 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation