John Altobelli, a former Cougar who played two seasons at UH before graduating in 1987, was among those killed in the helicopter crash that left retired NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six others dead on Sunday morning outside of Los Angeles, according to multiple reports.
Altobelli, 56, was the longest-tenured head coach in the history of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, after holding the post for over 24 years.
“Not only was he a great supporter of the UH program but he was a great friend,” head baseball coach Todd Whitting said to the Houston Chronicle.