Former OCC coach Rosso turns 88

DON CANTRELL

Former Orange Coast College football coach Ray Rosso takes another

Gulliver’s step today as he takes time to celebrate his 88th birthday

in Newport Beach.

Rosso, born in Turin, Italy, sees good humor in the annual event.

His late father, Bob, was 92 and Rosso said he hopes to pass that

number.

With added amusement, the former coach said he is considering,

“skipping odd numbers,” so it will appear that he will be reaching

100 easier. The other positive point is, “that I always liked even

numbers,” he said and then smiled.

He and his wife, Jean, celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary

March 5. They first met when Ray was attending UC Berkeley and she

was a freshman at USC. She transferred to Cal two years later. They

were married in 1943.

Another highlight, which dates back to 1939, should cheer old-time

friends and former players in the harbor area.

Asked about one yesteryear athletic fact check, Rosso admitted

that he kicked the only field goal in the Pacific Coast Conference in

1939 against St. Mary’s College. Few ever knew Rosso, a stout Cal

guard, ever kicked. He said he also booted conversions and kickoffs

for the Bears. He believes the field goal, which went right down the

middle, covered about 20 yards.

He recalls the days when St. Marys had a strong recruiting program

and played major colleges.

“The school was making every effort to match up with Notre Dame,”

Rosso said.

Old-time fans recall one of St. Mary’s greatest years in the

mid-1940s when it was invited to the Sugar Bowl to play Oklahoma A&M.;

St. Mary’s featured superior athletes like Herman Wedemeyer and Spike

Cordero.

He said Santa Clara was following a similar direction in the late

30s and 40s.

Rosso was not a giant lineman. He weighed almost 180 pounds when

Cal went to the Rose Bowl in 1938.

The Rossos, who have three children, fell in love with the harbor

area in the early 40s when he was stationed at Los Alamitos Naval Air

Station. He said they had occasions to visit Newport and the Balboa

peninsula. After taking the OCC coaching job in ‘48, they moved to

Lido Isle and made that a permanent home.