Revered teacher and coach dies

Walter “Pat” Wilson, one of the most successful tennis coaches in Newport-Mesa high school history and a beloved teacher at several Newport-Mesa schools, died Sunday of complications from diabetes.

He was 73.

Wilson, who coached tennis, football and badminton during stints at Newport Harbor, Corona del Mar and Estancia high schools, guided Newport Harbor’s boys’ tennis team to CIF Southern Section major-division titles in 1970 and 1971, as well as CIF runner-up finishes in 1968, ’69, ’72, ’73, and ’75.

He guided the Sailors to 11 straight Sunset League titles.

He also coached San Marino High to consecutive CIF Southern Section lower-division titles in 1963, ’64 and ’65.

In a 14-season run at San Marino and Newport Harbor, he saw 42 of his players earn college tennis scholarships.

After stints at Rea and Lincoln middle schools, he spent nine years at Corona del Mar, coaching tennis and badminton.

Mike Starkweather, a longtime teacher who also coached swimming and coaches golf at CdM High, remembered Wilson as a universally revered teacher, who had a habit of giving each of his students a nickname.

“When I’d run into kids in the community years after they graduated, Pat would usually come up [in conversation] and they would talk about the nickname he gave them,” Starkweather said. “They always remembered their nickname, and [Wilson] would remember it too.

“He was such a good guy, a real character, and he was probably one of the most positive people I ever met. And the guy could coach. He could really get kids to believe in themselves.”

Starkweather said Wilson also originated the nickname Seaweeds for seventh- and eighth-grade athletic teams at CdM.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated from Redlands High, where he swam and played football. Wilson swam one season at Orange Coast College. He earned a swim scholarship to the University of Arizona, where he competed from 1955 through 1957. He earned a masters degree from Arizona, before beginning a career teaching physical education, history and social studies.

He was also a longtime Newport Beach lifeguard.

He served as president of the California Coaches’ Assn. and the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches and is a member of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame.

He had four children.

A memorial service is pending.