Longtime Corona del Mar coach John Emme has died, he insisted his players display class

Longtime former Corona del Mar High baseball coach John Emme, my friend, mentor and coaching colleague, died Monday, Sept. 13, from head injuries sustained in a bike accident on Sept 4. He was 57.

I’ve known Emme since 1997 when he first arrived on the Corona del Mar campus. Many years later, Emme hired me as the school’s frosh/soph baseball coach when much younger coaches were available. I had experience playing professional baseball and Emme trusted my ability to coach.

Emme welcomed me back to coach the next year, but I “retired” after one season and will be indebted to him forever for taking a chance on me.

What brought us close was a lawsuit in 2000 aimed at him by a parent who believed Emme impeded his son’s ability to earn a college baseball scholarship. Because I wrote about the lawsuit against Emme, the parent also went after me and my employers at the time, the Los Angeles Times and Daily Pilot, with lawsuits resulting in victories across the board for the defendants, including a win for Emme, who reportedly was awarded $700,000 in his case. The legal team representing me at Los Angeles Times won their case against the parent.

While I did not appreciate being singled out by a lawsuit, it was an experience I will never forget, battling in a foxhole with Emme and constantly hearing his encouragement about how “we’re going to win this.” I can vouch for the fact he’s definitely someone you wanted in your corner.

Later, Emme’s crusade to protect high school coaches from parental lawsuits became legendary.

Emme also had my back as a coach at the school in 2015, including once when an out-of-line parent stopped me on the field after a game and vehemently suggested I play their kid more. Emme had just arrived on the CdM field from a bus trip with the varsity team and overheard the conversation, and quickly put the parent in their place. The following year, everyone was friendly, because that’s how Emme operated – with a short memory and forgiving heart.

For me, coaching at CdM was personal therapy and not something I planned to continue, so I retired after one season to watch my son, Nolan, play high school sports. Nolan played baseball for Emme during his first three years at Corona del Mar, until Emme stepped down in 2018 and Kevin McCaffrey took over as coach of the Sea Kings in 2019, Nolan’s senior year.

“(Emme) was a great coach and a great person,” Nolan said.

I’ve stayed in touch with Emme through text messaging and social media, and the last time I saw him in person was 22 months ago at one of my book signings. Emme always supported friends, fellow coaches, students and players by attending their special events.

On the Corona del Mar baseball field, Emme served as head coach for 21 years, before returning last year as an assistant coach under McCaffrey.

When Emme was hired in 1997 at CdM, he quickly turned the program around by cleaning house and insisting that his players work hard, be respectful and display class on and off the field. Within two years, the Sea Kings captured a CIF-Southern Section championship, their first of two in six years.

Emme finished with 335 career victories at the school and six league titles, the last coming in 2017 in the Pacific Coast League.

Emme, a Newport Beach resident and member of the UC Davis Baseball Hall of Fame as a standout player in the 1980s, taught psychology and sociology at Corona del Mar since ’97. He coached at UC Davis, Underwood High in Iowa and Redondo as an assistant before landing at CdM. Memorial services are pending.

Richard Dunn, a longtime sportswriter, writes the Dunn Deal column regularly for The Orange County Register’s weekly, The Coastal Current North.