Former Orange Coast women's basketball coach, Mike Thornton, passes away

"Mike was a legend, not just here at Orange Coast College, but throughout all of women's basketball throughout the state," OCC Athletics Director, Jason Kehler, said. "Mike helped put women's basketball on the map at OCC and his impact at Coast went far beyond the wins and losses. Our hearts go out to Mike's family, his former players and assistant coaches. Forever a Pirate."

Thornton guided Coast to a 584-333 record and 23 postseason appearances over his 29-year Pirate coaching career (1989-2018). The list of amazing seasons is almost too many to mention in this story, but if there is a word that best describes Thornton and his teams – consistency. Year in and year out, you could count on the Pirates to be at or near the top of the Orange Empire Conference standings and that is a testament to the hard work and dedication Mike put into his program.

"I first met Mike Thornton when he asked me to announce his games when he was hired at OCC in 1989," longtime OCC Foundation Director, Doug Bennett, said of Thornton. "I had only seen two OCC women's basketball games, but I immediately said yes. That was the beginning of a long friendship.  There were many exciting wins and achievements mixed in with a few tough losses.  Although it is great to celebrate and remember the wins, what I remember most about Mike was how much he cared about his own kids – Brian, Keith and Kelsey. He was always talking about their achievements and how much he was committed to the young women in his program.  While OCC had quite a few players who went on to four-year success, Mike enjoyed helping all of his student-athletes prepare for the next level regardless of whether or not they were a star or the last player on the bench."

Thornton's legacy was forever cemented by the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) when they inducted Mike into their Hall of Fame in 2019. Four years later, Thornton was inducted into the Orange Coast College Athletics Hall of Fame. Among his many accomplishments during his time as the Pirates' head coach included …

• 23 postseason appearances in 29 years
• Two 30-win seasons
• Nine 25-win seasons
• 15 seasons with 20-or-more wins
• 23 seasons above .500
• 2002-03 CCCAA State Champions
• Three Final-Four appearances
• Five Elite-Eight appearances
• 16 All-State players
• More than 80 players continued their basketball careers at the four-year level
• Fifth-most wins in CCCAA Women's Basketball history
• One of only 13 head coaches with 500-or-more wins 

"I never had the opportunity to play for coach Thornton, but my recruiting visit to OCC is definitely one I'll never forget," current OCC women's basketball coach, Sammy Doucette said. "Mike and I ended up building a relationship that lasted throughout the years. So much so that he advocated pretty hard for me to replace him when he retired. I am forever grateful to him for his belief in me to follow in his footsteps. He laid the foundation at OCC and his legacy will always be remembered. It's truly inspiring how many lives he touched and the amount of people he brought together. He will be missed, but never forgotten."

Thornton began his coaching career at Santa Ana High School in 1970, where he was the varsity boys head coach for the Saints from 1973 to 1975. In 1975, Thornton moved to Marina High School, where he served as Steve Popovich's No. 1 assistant with the boys program until 1977. In 1980, Thornton was named the head girls' coach at Marina, where he won 147 games before coming to OCC in 1989. He did double duty coaching both the boys and girls from 1980 through 1987. He finished his last two years at Marina coaching only the girls' team in 1988 and '89.

"Mike and I clicked right away," Popovich said of Thornton. "We had the same interests, we grew up loving sports and we always talked about the teams he followed. When he was my assistant, I gave him lots of responsibilities. We were both in our mid-20s and we grew up together.

"We did everything together … going to basketball camps, basketball clinics … we could read each other's minds and finish each other's sentences. I thought I cared about sports, but I was a peon compared to Mike. Our road trips to the men's college basketball Final Fours, Cubs games at Wrigley Field … and each one of those trips was an adventure.  Beyond the sports, we did family stuff together. Our kids grew up together. We had Super Bowl parties together. It's definitely hard to lose someone after 50 years of friendship."

After building one of the stronger girls' programs in Orange County at Marina HS, he left to take over as the head coach at OCC in 1989 and remained
the head coach for the Pirates before retiring following the 2017-18 season. In his first year, he turned an 8-18 squad from the previous year into a 26-6 squad and the tradition of a consistent winning women's basketball program at OCC began.

"Coach Thornton was a great coach, and an even better man," former OCC player and current Santa Ana College women's basketball head coach, Flo Luppani, said. "He was more than a coach to all of us. He was a leader, a mentor. Playing at OCC went further than just winning games. He built a program that focused on the people in it. I remember Coach always saying, 'When you become older and go on with your life, you will not remember the scores of the games, but you will remember the relationships you made.' That is very evident in the fact that after 30 years of playing together at Coast, many of us are still very close friends. Personally, he has been a staple in my life, and took the time to always help me as I moved through my coaching career."

More than 80 players who played for Thornton continued their basketball careers at four-year colleges and university across the country at schools such as UCLA, UCI, Cal State Fullerton, UNLV, the University of New Orleans, St. Mary's, Concordia University, Northern Colorado, Mercer and Cal State Bakersfield.  An additional 80-plus student-athletes transferred to four-year colleges and universities but did not play basketball. 

Thornton and the Pirates put it all together in the 2002-03 season, finishing 31-6 overall and winning the 3C2A Women's Basketball State Championship with a 69-61 win over Contra Costa in the championship game. 

"I can't help but have this overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the love, support, and Pirate community that surrounds us and he created all of that," former 2002-03 OCC player and current head coach at Palomar College, Leigh Marshall, said. "Mike is so loved and I'm so blessed he was in my life. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today without him. I hope that he's proud of me and knew the impact he had on so many of us."

Thornton was an avid sports fan. He was passionate about his four favorite teams -- the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs on the professional level and The University of Illinois and Stanford University on the collegiate level. His favorite team of all, of course, was the Orange Coast Pirate team that he coached.

"Mike Thornton was the most impactful person in my young adult life," former OCC player, Monique Sweet said. "Coach was a good man whose grit, confidence, and integrity guided me to a teaching career and over 30 years of friendship with some of the greatest women I know. I will be forever grateful for the influence he has had in my life."

Growing up, Thornton played basketball and baseball at Cal State Stanislaus and is the only person in school history to captain both teams in his senior year. He was a late-round draft choice of the Montreal Expos in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft prior to them becoming the Washington Nationals.

"I was very fortunate that I was able to spend 10 days with him near the end of his life," Mike's brother, Steve Thornton, said. "He was still lucid and could communicate so we shared a bunch of stories and memories. It was a nice way to say goodbye.

"We grew up in a sports family and as Mike's younger brother, I was so lucky and grateful that he always included me whenever he played sports with his friends. That really helped me grow faster and excel ahead of most of my peers.

"As a fellow coach, Mike was a big influence on me and I learned a tremendous amount from my brother. But, beyond that, I'll miss talking to him about our Chicago Cubs, or the Angels or Stanford football."

Thornton is survived by his wife, Dianne, his two sons, Brian and Keith, his daughter Kelsey, stepchildren Lisa Orosco Jette, Karla Orosco, Janine Orosco, Anthony Orosco, one grandchild and seven step-grandchildren.

"I've known Mike since I was 14," stepdaughter Lisa Orosco Jette said. "First on the basketball courts at Marina High, then playing under him at Orange Coast College, and eventually joining him as a coach at OCC. Even then, it was clear how much he cared for his players, always going out of his way to support them. Later, as his stepdaughter, I witnessed firsthand the countless players he mentored, many of whom credited him with shaping their lives and their successes.

"Mike's generosity and love extended far beyond the court. He deeply cherished the relationships he built over the years, took immense pride in raising happy and successful kids, and showered my mom with unwavering love. 

"He wasn't just a remarkable coach, he was an incredible dad, friend, brother, grandpa, and the most supportive stepdad I could ever ask for. He left a lasting impression on everyone he touched and though he will be deeply missed, his legacy will live on in everyone's hearts."

There will be a memorial service for Mike Thornton inside Orange Coast College's Basil H. Peterson Gym on Tuesday, July 22, beginning at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to:

OCC Women's Basketball program (c/o OCC Foundation)

2701 Fairview Road

Costa Mesa, CA 92627 

For those who'd wish to donate online … click HERE.

 (Tony Altobelli, Orange Coast College Athletics)