Coach Stull Remembered Fondly at Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona lost a legend when former basketball coach Bob Stull died last week at the age of 80.

Stull started the Pomona men’s basketball program in 1947 and coached the team for 24 years before retiring after the 1970-71 season.

“He was the original driving force behind Bronco athletics, as well as men’s basketball,” said Karen Miller, Pomona’s athletic director. “Coach Stull was truly a legend at Cal Poly Pomona.”

Stull, who continued to support Pomona athletics long after his retirement, was best remembered for his human touch.

Former Pomona coach Don Hogan, who played for Stull in 1961 and later coached the Broncos from 1973 to 1981, described Stull as a father figure to his players who was not quick to judge and was always supportive.

Burial services were Thursday in Whittier and a memorial service followed in Covina.

Stull’s record was 324-304, which makes him the winningest men’s basketball coach in Pomona’s history. Not surprisingly, he led Pomona to its first postseason tournament appearance, in the 1961-62 season.

That team featured Art Williams, who went on to play with the Boston Celtics and have a 10-year NBA career. Stull’s 1963-64 team reached the NCAA Division II Final Four before losing. That remains Pomona’s most successful season.

It is the second big loss to the Pomona athletic department this year. Another legendary coach, Darlene May, died of cancer earlier this year. May had 515 victories in 20 years as women’s basketball coach at Pomona and the school gym is named after her.

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Former Pomona-Pitzer tennis star Darlene Hard will be inducted into the Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame on Nov. 1.

Hard, 61, went on from Pomona to have a very successful amateur career, which included 21 Grand Slam titles (three singles, 13 doubles and five mixed doubles).

Hard, whose Grand Slam singles titles came at the French Championships in 1960 and the U.S. Championships in 1960 and ‘61, before the open era, said she never regretted her amateur playing status.

“We went for the glory. I loved it. I loved tennis,” said Hard, who was a professional instructor and volunteer in the sport until 1981.

Hard now works for USC’s student publications as an administrator. She will attend the induction ceremony with her mother, Ruth, at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Va.

Hard enrolled at Pomona in 1957 and won the national intercollegiate tennis tournament in 1958. She played an aggressive serve-and-volley game and won various doubles championships with 10 different partners.

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Longtime Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s soccer coach Steve Davis said he will retire as coach after this season, his 29th. His assistant the past two seasons, Louis Bilowitz, will take over as coach next season.

Davis will continue as philosophy professor for Claremont McKenna College.

Under Davis, Claremont Mudd has won or shared 20 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, including 15 of the last 16. He has been to the NCAA Division III playoffs 10 times in the last 15 years--no easy feat because there is no automatic bid for the SCIAC winner.

Davis, whose career record is 353-123-49, will be honored in a ceremony in January.

College Division Notes

The Azusa Pacific men’s soccer team has won 10 consecutive matches and is ranked No. 8 in the NAIA poll. Jason Roufs has scored in eight consecutive matches to lead the Cougars (13-2 overall, 8-0 in Golden State Athletic Conference games). He has 15 goals and 35 points for the season. The GSAC record is 45 by Westmont’s Peter Bourland in 1989. . . . The Westmont women’s soccer team is ranked No. 4 and plays a big matchup tonight against No. 13 Azusa Pacific (11-4, 6-1). Westmont (12-3, 6-0) has won all four women’s soccer GSAC titles and is 34-0-2 in conference games. The two ties were against Azusa Pacific in 1994.