Cancer claims Reynolds

Bill Reynolds, the former Southern California College men’s basketball coach whose legacy spans throughout Southern California and beyond in the scores of former players who have become coaches, died Monday from Cancer. He was 65.

Reynolds, for whom Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball coach Larry Hirst named the annual Bill Reynolds Classic tournament, was a revered coach for 17 seasons at SCC (now Vanguard University) in Costa Mesa.

Reynolds retired from coaching in 1998 and spent subsequent seasons watching several of his former players coach high school teams in the region, including Hirst.

Reynolds’ tenure at SCC included 17 trips to the postseason, 10 seasons of at least 20 wins, three Golden State Athletic Conference championships and one trip to the “sweet 16” at the NAIA Tournament in 1990.

He compiled a 353-185 record at SCC.

He was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004, shortly before he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Reynolds, who before coming to SCC coached at Bolsa Grande and La Quinta high schools, was named District 3 Coach of the Year three times and was the GSAC Coach of the Year once.

Working as a high school counselor throughout his tenure at SCC, Reynolds was more than a coach to his players.

Hirst has said he often turned to Reynolds for advice about family, coaching and life in general. Hirst also said he patterns his emphasis on a family atmosphere in the Sailors’ program after what Reynolds achieved at SCC.

“I can’t think of another man who has had more of an influence on my group of friends,” Hirst said. “He took a lot of misguided youths and put them on the right track.”

Vanguard Athletic Director Bob Wilson, in a statement, called Reynolds a “pioneer in how intercollegiate athletics should run.

“Reynolds was the epitome of the Champions of Character initiative, not only by developing great basketball teams, but he was also a difference maker in the lives of the student-athletes he touched,” Wilson added. “While he will be missed, he established a legacy that will never be forgotten.”

In addition to Hirst, former SCC players Todd Dixon and Mike Murphy have built respected prep programs at El Toro High and Sonora High, respectively.

Former high school coaches Elbert Davis (Corona del Mar High girls and Westminster boys), Andrew Smith (La Sierra boys), Randy McAllister (Rancho Verde boys), Ollie Martin (Ocean View and Mater Dei girls), Mike West (Fallbrook boys) and Barry Silvers (Morro Bay) have guided high school programs.

Reynolds was humbled by the tournament named after him, which Hirst began in 2000.

“I was floored when they told me about the tournament,” Reynolds said in 2001. “What an honor.”

Reynolds was a frequent spectator at the event, which often included several of his former players’ high school teams.

“It is, without a doubt, the biggest reward any coach can receive watching your players become coaches,” Reynolds said. “It shows everyone just what type of people they are. They were mature, professional kids at SCC and that carried over.”

Reynolds is survived by his wife, Shirley, three daughters and six grandchildren.

A celebration of Reynolds’ life will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Saddleback Church (tent No. 2), in Lake Forest.