2010

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Ray Bishop

Ray Bishop was the Pierce College Head Football Coach from 1958 to 1966 and Golf Coach from 1957 to 1981.  Prior to that Ray played for the Santa Ana College Football Team, which played in the 1940 Jr. Rose Bowl.  Ray transferred from Santa Ana to Occidental College, where he played football and baseball.  There he was part of the V-12, Navy College Training Program that allowed draftees to attend college and finish their degrees.  During his time at Occidental, he and several other V-12 players lived in housing under the football bleachers.

After serving in the Marines during World War II, Ray came to Pierce College.  He was the Assistant Football Coach in 1957 and then became the Head Football Coach in 1958.  Ray was known for his quick wit.  He was a mentor to Denny Crum, Marv Dunphy, and several other Pierce College players and coaches.  Ray always tried his best to place his players in four-year schools. Ray Passed away in 2008, but his impact on Pierce College Athletics lives on.  

Denny Crum

One of college basketball's all-time greatest coaches, Denny Crum honed his basketball skills on the courts of Pierce College before moving into the coaching world.  Crum attended San Fernando High School and went on to become an integral part of the Pierce men's basketball team from 1954-56. After finishing his playing days at Pierce, Denny transferred to UCLA, where he played for legendary coach John Wooden, from 1956-58. 

After graduating from UCLA in 1958, Denny spent one season as the Bruin freshman coach, before returning to Pierce to coach at his alma mater.  After four successful seasons with the Brahmas, Crum returned to UCLA as Wooden's top assistant.

In 1971, the University of Louisville offered Denny the opportunity to be the Head Coach of Men’s Basketball.  He served as the Head Basketball Coach from 1971 to 2001.  Since moving to Louisville, he has become of one the most successful and well-reputed coaches in college sports today.

Denny is ranked 20th in Career wins at 675.  He led his teams to 12 conference championships.  Coach Crum led several successful teams.  Out of twenty nine seasons, twenty one of them celebrated at least twenty victories.  His winning teams have appeared in the NCAA tournament twenty three times. Coach Crum has coached his teams to six Final Four appearances and two national championships in 1980 and 1986.  At the time, he was one of only three active coaches to win two or more championships, along with the University of Indiana's Bob Knight and Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski. 

In 1994 Denny Crum was inducted into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is a rare honor. He was one of only two active coaches, along with Indiana's Knight, to receive this honor.  

Doug DeCinces

One of the most popular players in California Angels' history, Doug DeCinces was named to the Angels All-Time Team in April, 2000, as the best third baseman to ever play for the club.  Before embarking on an amazing major league baseball career, Doug starred as a two-sport player at Monroe High School in North Hills, playing both baseball and basketball.  The talented athlete chose to focus on baseball and played for Pierce College from 1969-70.  He earned All-Star Conference honors twice while at Pierce.

After leaving Pierce in 1970, he signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.  He spent just over four seasons in the minors before being called up to the major leagues in 1975.  Doug played eight seasons with the Orioles, earning American League Player of the Month honors in July 1978.  He is the co-owner of the Baltimore record for longest hitting streak, earning hits in 22 games in 1978.

In 1979, Doug helped lead the Orioles to the World Series, where he tied a series record for hitting a home run in his first at-bat.  In January 1982, the Angels acquired Doug, who helped lead the club to the American League West Title and finished third in league MVP voting, behind future Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Eddie Murray. 

The American League All-Star Team selected Doug to its squad in 1983. He helped the Angels to another American League West title and the American League Championship Series in 1986.  He currently holds four Angels records and was named American League Player of the Week and Player of the Month twice in his Angels career.  Doug retired from baseball after the 1986 season and remains active in charity work, sponsoring the annual Doug DeCinces March of Dimes Celebrity Golf Tournament.

 Marv Dunphy

In 1966 Marv Dunphy came to Pierce after graduating from Taft High School.  He then was drafted to Vietnam, and on his return in 1970 he became a Physical Education Major.  During  his time at Pierce, Geri Fiorello organized a co-ed Volleyball Tournament in which the winner received a turkey.   Marv’s team won the tournament.  Marv stated, “The coaching staff at Pierce helped transform me into the person I am today.  I realize that I was in the presence of greatness when I came to Pierce.”

While he was at Pierce, Marv went to Japan as an exchange student and learned the formal way to play volleyball.  Upon his return from Japan, he found that Pierce had no men’s volleyball team.  He and a group of men got a sponsor from the Physical Education Department to become their head coach.  That person was Gerry Perry. 

Marv was one of the first men’s volleyball players to come out of Pierce. In 1972 he transferred to Pepperdine University and played volleyball there. 

Marv is now in his 27th season as Head Coach for the Waves, and just got his 500th career win.  During his twenty seven years at Pepperdine Marv has coached two Olympic teams; one in 1988 and most recently in 2008.  Marv has won five NCAA Championships, has had eight National Players of the Year, and seventy five All-American players play under him. 

In 1994, Dunphy was formally recognized for his immense contribution to the sport, as he was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass.  His 1988 Olympic Team was inducted in the fall of 1999. He was also inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in December 2009 as well as the California Community Colleges Men’s Volleyball Coaches Association in 2009.

  Geri Fiorello

Geri Fiorello began teaching at Pierce College in 1961.  At that time there was no gym, nor was there a sports program designed for women.   Geri became instrumental in helping to start a women’s sports program at Pierce College.  Geri coached Softball, Volleyball and Women’s Basketball.  The Women’s Basketball teams enjoyed a twenty year winning streak.  In addition, she served as the Assistant Coach for Track and Field, Gymnastics and co-ed volleyball.

In 1980 the Pierce Women’s Basketball team was invited to play in the Community College Women’s Basketball Championships in Ann Arbor Michigan, where they played against teams from Oklahoma and Texas.  Pierce successfully advanced to the semi-finals.  During her 30 years of coaching at Pierce College, Geri coached three female students and one male student who competed in the Olympics.

Geri, along with four other women, wrote Title 9, which helped enable girls and women nationwide to develop and participate in sports at the high school and college levels.  During her time at Pierce, Geri developed a 9-hole golf course on the campus and she designed and instructed a fitness program for woman who wanted to join the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments.  Geri retired in 1991 to devote more time to playing golf and working with women in the United States Marine Corps  and Veterans.

Erwin Goldbloom

Erwin Goldbloom graduated from UCLA in 1955, during which time he was on the wrestling team (1953-55).  He served as an assistant coach for UCLA from 1956-1958 while he was getting his Master’s Degree.  In 1965 Erwin came to Pierce College, where he was a Physical Education Teacher and Head Wrestling Coach from 1965-1983.

During that time he coached the team to the Western States Conference championships between 1966-1969, Metro Conference in 1971, and Southern California Regional championship in 1967-1969 and 1971. He served as the Associate Head Coach from 1983-1988.  His overall record at Pierce was 135 wins, 136 losses and 6 ties.

Erwin also became involved in officiating in all levels from Amateur Athletic Union, to High School and to NCAA.  Erwin was inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002.  Erwin was also involved in the Maccabi Games; coaching both Wrestling and Racquetball in 1992.  Erwin also co-wrote a book titled “Racquetball Today” in 1991.

Erwin retired from teaching at Pierce in 1995, but kept working as a substitute teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District until April of 2008.  In the 1984 Olympics Erwin was an advisor for the wrestling staff and in 1991 for the U.S. Olympic Festival in Racquetball.  During that time Erwin went to Japan and Mexico to officiate and coach teams in wrestling matches.

Mark Harmon

Mark Harmon parlayed a celebrated college football career into a flourishing acting career that has spanned nearly two decades.  The son of former Heisman Trophy winner and KTLA Channel 5 sportscaster, Tom Harmon, Mark attended Harvard School before enrolling at Pierce College in 1970.  Mark earned the position of starting quarterback as a freshman.

Mark earned All-Conference honors in 1970-1971 and was named to the Junior College All-America team in 1971.  In 1972 he transferred to UCLA, which honored him as the Bruins' Rookie of the Year at the end of the season.  As a Bruin, he had a 17-5 record as a starter, passed for 845 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 1,504 yards and 14 touchdowns.

After graduating from UCLA in 1974 with honors, Mark ventured into the world of acting.  He quickly earned an Emmy nomination in 1978 for his role in the television movie "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years."  He shot to stardom in 1983, when he first appeared on the popular NBC medical drama "St. Elsewhere" as Dr. Robert Caldwell.  His character was one of the first on television to deal directly with AIDS, which caused Caldwell’s death on the show in 1986. That same year, People Magazine named Mark its "Sexiest Man Alive."

Mark went on to star in several movies, including "Summer School," "Stealing Home," and "Wyatt Earp."  He also appeared in the television dramas "Reasonable Doubts" and "Charlie Grace."  From 1996 to 2000, he played orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Jack McNeil on the CBS prime-time medical drama "Chicago Hope."  He is now star of the hit TV show “N.C.I.S.” (“Navy Criminal Investigative Service”) in the role of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs.

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  Eric Kramer

A successful professional quarterback, Erik Kramer has enjoyed an acclaimed career in the Canadian Football League and the National Football League.  Prior to becoming an outstanding college quarterback, Erik excelled at Burroughs High School in Burbank before starring on the Pierce College football team.

Erik spent 1983 and 1984 as Pierce's starting quarterback.  In 1984, he led the Pierce football team to their best-ever season with a 10-0 record and a berth in the prestigious Potato Bowl.  After compiling impressive results at Pierce, he earned a scholarship to North Carolina State and transferred in 1985.  In 1986, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the year.   While at North Carolina State, Erik passed for 4,757 yards and 31 touchdowns in only two seasons, breaking eight school passing records in the process.

In 1988, he got his first taste of football north of the border, playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.  In 1993, the NFL's Detroit Lions signed Erik, who made his first NFL start while setting a personal 76% completion with 257 yards and three touchdowns.  That same season, he led the Lions to the NFC Central Division title and an appearance in the NFC Championship.  Erik signed with the Chicago Bears in 1995, where he set the team's single-season records for attempts (522), completions (315), yards (3,838) and touchdowns (29), and was the only NFL quarterback to take every snap that season.  In 1999, he signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers. Erik has enjoyed seven 300-yard games in his professional career and is the top-rated passer in Chicago Bears history.

He finished his 13 NFL seasons with 1,317 completions for 15,337 yards and 92 touchdowns, with 79 interceptions.  He also gained 217 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground.  Kramer holds the Bears' record for highest career passer rating (80.7), and owns their single-season records for attempts, completions, touchdowns and passing yards.

Currently, he is working for FSN Detroit, where he covers one of his former teams, the Detroit Lions, as an in studio analyst. He is also working as color commentator on Bears preseason games.  Erik writes a personal blog for www.playerpress.com at www.erikkramerpass.com, where he discusses current events in the NFL.

   

 Bob Lyons

Lyons has been an invaluable part of the Pierce College community since 1964, when he joined the Pierce faculty as a full-time instructor in the Business Administration Department.  Bob has donated a tremendous amount of time and effort to the campus and to Pierce College Athletics.  In 1966, Bob was named assistant baseball coach at Los Angeles City College; a position he held for seven years.

From 1975-1982, Bob was the head baseball coach at Pierce College and returned to the same position from 1988-1991.  He is a sponsor for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, which is a program for low-income members of the community.  Bob served as the Pierce College Athletic Director from 1996 until 2006. During his tenure as Athletic Director, Bob started the Women’s Soccer team in 2001 and brought back Men’s Basketball in 2002.  Bob continues to advise and support the Pierce College Athletics program. 

Ken "Big Daddy" Stanley

Ken Stanley led the Pierce College Men's Volleyball team to three state championships (1986, 1988 and 1992) since launching the program in 1976.  Ken began coaching at Pierce in 1966 as a Basketball Assistant to Denny Crum.  It seems only fitting that a coach known as "Big Daddy" would run a volleyball program that has served as a cradle for coaches. 

Ken has nurtured the Pierce College Men's Volleyball program from its infancy into one of the most powerful in the state.  Along the way he has helped produce a nest full of top-flight coaches.  Ken has coached three Olympian athletes.  He says that he has been lucky that so many fine athletes heard about him, that they knocked on his door, and that they stayed.  Ken would have you believe that all of the powerful Men's Volleyball teams at Pierce College have come together by grace.  Ken is too modest to mention that he sculpted them into champions, one precise chip after another.

Ken Stanley was inducted into the California Community College Men’s Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009, along with Marv Dunphy and 2008 Olympian, Riley Salmon of Pierce.  Ken retired from the Head Coach job in 2004, but has always had a hand in the program.  He continues as a consultant for the coaches.  Ken spends his time in semi-retirement being active; he plays golf twice a week and spends time playing catch with his 8-year-old grandson.  

   Paul Xanthos

The late great Paul Xanthos, also known as the Wizard of Winnetka, amassed a remarkable 550-94 win-loss record during a 28-year career as the Pierce College tennis coach.  During Xanthos' tenure at Pierce, he led teams to 23 conference championships, and experienced winning streaks of  ninety six, fifty, thirty seven and twenty seven wins in a row.  Coach Xanthos passed away on June 12, 2006.

Xanthos wrote numerous articles and books on tennis and conducted tennis seminars worldwide. He was a charter member of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Education and Research Committee, and was instrumental in founding the United States Tennis Association’s National Tennis Teachers Conference.

His awards include the United States Tennis Association Award of Merit in 1974, the California Coaches Association Tennis Coach of the Year in 1979, the USPTA California Division Coach of the Year, 1981-1984, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Community College Coach of the Year in 1988, and the National Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas in 1989.  In 1994, he was named the USPTA Coach of the Year and was also inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame.  Xanthos was also an USPTA honorary member and Master Professional.