Former Tulare Western baseball coach Norm Warren dies at 79
Former Tulare Western High School baseball coach Norm Warren died on Jan. 18 at his central coast home in Grover Beach.
He was 79.
Warren was one of the most influential baseball coaches in Tulare County history and the second-winning high school baseball coach in Tulare County history behind former Tulare Union skipper Jim Garrett (489-440-3). He recently celebrated his 50th anniversary with his wife, Sandy, in December.
During a 31-year coaching career at Tulare Western, he compiled a 416-383-1 overall record, including a 241-219 mark in East Yosemite League play.
The Mustangs captured seven EYL championships (1976, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1995, 2001, 2002) during Warren’s reign and his teams also reached the Central Section playoff semifinals three separate times with a runner-up finish in 1985.
Warren culminated his coaching career after the 2002 season, retiring that year as the Mustangs marched to a 21-6 record en route to a postseason semifinal playoff appearance. At the time, Tulare Western's 21 victories that year set a new school record for most wins in a single season.
Current Tulare Western head coach Ken Searcy was on Warren’s staff that season along with former Golden West coach Rick Lantrip and current Mustangs’ pitching coach Justin Cuellar.
“It was fun,” Searcy said. “That year, I was able to work with him. It was his going-out year for him. Myself, Rick Lantrip and Justin Cuellar were all on that staff. We had a good group of kids that year, too. We had a really fun group that just enjoyed having fun.”
Warren was responsible for putting Tulare Western baseball on the Central Section map and played an instrumental role in developing the Mustangs’ facilities.
Taylor Field, Tulare Western’s baseball diamond, is considered one of the best playing surfaces in Tulare County.
Warren attended Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia, and it was there that some of the school’s coaches influenced him to coach one day.
After high school, he played baseball at College of the Sequoias under then-head coach Roy Taylor and graduated from Pepperdine University in 1966.
In 1969, Warren joined the teaching staff at Tulare Western and remained there until his retirement in 2002. He was named the program’s varsity baseball coach before the 1972 campaign – a position he held for 31 seasons – and coached basketball and football.
On the basketball court, he directed the Mustangs girls’ varsity basketball team to the program’s first two EYL titles in 1977 and 1978.
But his impact on the baseball side left a lasting impression.
Twenty-five of Warren’s former players went on to play college baseball, including Sal Cervantes (Fresno State), Eddie Jacobo (Fresno State), Kevin Wilson (Hayward State; now California State University, East Bay), Pat Jurado (Sacramento State), Robert Perales (Hayward State), Miguel Salazar (Cal State San Bernadino), Estevan Valencia (University of the Redlands), Kurt Airoso (Cal State Northridge), Justin Cuellar (Pepperdine/Fresno State), Andy Salazar (Masters University), Ronnie Machado Jr. (Sacramento State) and Clay Brown (Vanguard University).
A few of Warren’s players were also drafted by MLB teams like Jacobo (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Airoso (Detroit Tigers). Airoso played 10 seasons of pro ball in the minor leagues and is the Mustangs' hitting coach.
"He's coached a lot of tremendous players," Searcy said.
Warren was also a leader off the field, serving 30 years as the head of the school’s physical education department.
And when he wasn’t coaching or instructing classes, he took care of the baseball field, prepping it for practice and game days. He did that on the weekends, too.
“The dedication, the work ethic, and the pride he has in his baseball club are unbelievable. He’s a workhorse,” former Tulare Western athletic director Rudy Carrasco told the Times-Delta in 2002 as Warren’s coaching career was coming to an end. “He knows [he] had to take care of situations. You can’t beat his fatherly instincts with the kids. He’s keeping tabs on the whole P.E. department and the athletic department … He’s Mr. Everything.”
Warren also helped establish the Tulare/Visalia Baseball Invitational, usually played during spring break. That tournament will be in its 38th season this year.
Even after his retirement, Warren still impacted players' lives at Tulare Western. In 2011, he helped contribute his funds to kickstart the Norm Warren Baseball Scholarship.
Brandon Wong was the recipient of the inaugural scholarship, and Searcy has continued awarding his player's annual scholarships. Warren kept the scholarship alive through the years with his monetary contributions.
Tulare Western plans to dedicate its 2023 baseball season to Warren.
"He had a lot of impact on many people around here," Searcy said. "... That's what a legacy is, right?"
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Former Tulare Western baseball coach Norm Warren dies at 79
