John Altobelli, his wife and daughter died in crash with Bryant

Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, died along with his wife, Keri, and daughter, Allyssa, in a helicopter crash yesterday that killed nine people.

Altobelli was involved in the crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Altobelli helped lead his team to a state championship in 2019, and he was named the National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Altobelli has a 705-478-4 record as head coach.

Before his death, Altobelli led the Pirates to four championships, in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2019. Associate head coach Nate Johnson will take over the team in the wake of Altobelli’s death.

As of this morning, a sixth crash victim, Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach, has been identified. Three victims remain unidentified.

The crash is under investigation. The sports world has been shaken with the loss of such influential individuals.