Former CdM baseball coach John Emme, who led Sea Kings to two CIF titles, dies at the age of 57

Former CdM baseball coach John Emme, pictured in January of 2020 at a tribute for former Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, died on Monday. (File photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

Coaches, players and teachers at Corona del Mar High School are mourning the death of highly-successful former Sea Kings varsity baseball coach John Emme, who died Monday, Sept. 13, according to CdM Coach Kevin McCaffrey.

Emme had been in intensive care since a bike accident on Saturday, Sept. 4, McCaffrey said.

“I received the news of his passing this afternoon around 2 p.m.,” McCaffrey said Monday night.

Emme, 57, was the head coach at CdM from 1997 to 2018 but came back to be an assistant coach at CdM last season. Emme led CdM to two CIF championships and was extremely popular among the coaching ranks.

“We are saddened by the sudden loss of Coach Emme,” McCaffrey said. “John was an essential part of the CdM baseball family and community and it won’t be the same without him.”

After retiring as baseball coach, Emme continued to teach psychology, sociology and credit recovery at CdM. 

Many coaches throughout Orange County expressed their sympathies and respect for Emme on social media Monday and flowers were brought to the CdM baseball field where a banner honoring Emme after his retirement was displayed. It said: “CdM baseball thanks you for 21 years of hard work and dedication!!”

One of the coaches sharing memories of Emme was Beckman Coach Kevin Lavalle, who coached against Emme and CdM when the Sea Kings were in the Pacific Coast League.

“It’s such a loss,” Lavalle told OC Sports Zone Monday. “I talked to him about a month ago and it just isn’t fair. It’s really rare in sports to have a friendly rivalry, but that’s always the way it felt when we played CdM. The games were super intense but we could talk about the game candidly the minute it was over.

“We had a lot of great games. I think it’s important for people to know that he was a great baseball coach. Of course there was more to him than baseball, but from my perspective as a coach, you knew you were always going to have to be prepared when you played CdM. He was a great competitor and then the game would end and he would turn into John the friend. He was just really genuine. I think that’s the best word I can think of to describe him and our friendship. He loved coaching, he loved teaching and he loved his players and students.”

“John coached longer and better than anybody in his era,” said former Northwood Coach Rob Stuart. “He did it with humility, an emphasis on team and a commitment to playing the game the right way. He did so many wonderful things at CdM as a coach, teacher and mentor. He is a legend in Orange County.”

“It really hurts when we lose a member of the baseball fraternity,” said long-time Orange County coach Bob Flint. “This certainly begs the question for God. Good man, good educator.”

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com