Coaches’ honors dinner up in air

The California Coaches Association’s dinner in Sacramento, which annually honors dozens of high school coaches, is in limbo due to COVID19. It is scheduled for June 13. The three CCA Hall of Fame inductees in the Class of 2020 are locals — St. Joseph Notre Dame Alameda boys basketball coach Don Lippi, former Lowell tennis coach Barbara Prato and Donald Ardissone, who won baseball titles at Bellarmine, Cupertino, Los Gatos and SkylineOakland.

Marin County Athletic League assistant commissioner Rich Woodall, a former multisport coach at Marin CatholicKentfield and NovatoSan Marin, is also supposed to receive the Jim Brownfield Mentor Award for someone who has given back to high school sports in a variety of ways.

CCA Coaches of the Year include the Bay Area’s Stephen Pezzola (SalesianRichmond girls basketball), Mike Oakland (St. Francis softball), Kevin Doherty (Lincoln track and field), Dan Hibson (HillsdaleSan Mateo boys water polo), Ed Larios (Sacred Heart PrepAtherton assistant) and Rob Ray (Lowell athletic director).

A decision on whether to cancel the event will come May 10.

“We are in an interesting time in the world of coaching, not just because of the current virus situation shutting down the schools,” CCA President Chris Fore said, “but because coaching has changed in so many ways. It has become a yearround venture with unlimited demands on our coaches. We need to support our coaches more than ever.”

Few have influenced more or had greater success than the 72yearold Lippi, who just completed his 41st prep season. With 895 wins, he’s Northern California’s winningest coach and has led his teams to 16 section, seven NorCal and four state titles.

Two years ago, he said he loved coaching more at 70 than any time in his life. “I can smell the roses after a great win” now, he said. “When I was 30, I’d be worried about the next game.”

Lippi’s enormous coaching tree includes Valley Christian coach Mark DeLuca.

DeLuca was raised by a single mom and said Lippi, his former coach at St. PatrickSt. Vincent in Vallejo, was the first male figure to show a genuine interest in him.

“From that moment on I knew I was playing for a great man — not just a great basketball coach,” DeLuca wrote in SportsStars magazine. “Playing for Lippi was like playing for a comedian, teacher, coach and activist all in one.”

DeLuca is passing on his former coach’s bigpicture approach by starting a BoxOutCovid19 coaches’ challenge to support Bay Area nurses.

As of Thursday, DeLuca reported the drive has helped supply more than 13,000 masks and gloves, 400 face shields and 200 goggles to area nurses.

“Our Valley Christian schools community, surrounding San Jose businesses, churches & local HS coaches all stepped up big time with PPE,” DeLuca tweeted. Marcaletti resigns: Another from the Lippi tree, Rob Marcaletti has resigned after six seasons at St. Ignatius, where he went 8359 and in March won a Central Coast Section Division 3 title. The 41yearold Marcaletti, a father of three, told Ethan Kassel of Prep2Prep, “There’s not one thing that led to this decision. … I feel it’s best for me and for the family.”

Marcaletti will remain at the school as an assistant athletic director. He graduated from SI in 1996 and played for and coached under Lippi. “He taught me to approach life with a chip on your shoulder, tremendous enthusiasm and a refuse to lose mentality,” Marcaletti said.

More coaching news: St. Ignatius introduced new girls basketball coach Maya Fok, a 1998 SI graduate, who played at UC Davis and UC San Diego. A former SI assistant, Fok coached the past six seasons at Urban, compiling a 11566 record. “I am incredibly excited to return to my alma mater and continue to grow the program and add to the great legacy of the St. Ignatius girls basketball program,” Fok said. … Jalal Beauchman (Bellarmine) and former Riordan offensive coordinator Chris Saunders (MenloAtherton) are new head football coaches.