CCCMBCA Hall of Fame Welcomes Former El Camino Coach, UCLA Star, Olympian

After graduating from Sacramento High School, George Stanich enrolled at Sacramento City College, needing a year of foreign language and math classes in order to transfer to UCLA to join his brother, John, on the basketball and baseball teams at UCLA.

Sacramento City College challenged Stanich academically and became a strong foundation for his studies at UCLA. As an athlete at Sacramento City, Stanich competed in the 1946-47 school year. Playing center, he was first team all-tournament at the 1947 Western States Tournament (which was recognized by the NJCAA as the national championship tournament). He led Sacramento City to a third-place finish. He was the team's leading scorer (11 point per game).

Stanich was also a league champion in the high jump and 120-yard high hurdles. He was second in the high jump at the Fresno Relays and third in the hurdles at the California Relays. He also played baseball for the Panthers, finishing with 7-0 record as a pitcher while hitting .370.

Stanich, who graduated from UCLA with a bachelors and a master’s degree, was one of UCLA’s best all-time athletes, playing three sports and earning seven varsity letters.

As a guard on the Bruins basketball team, Stanich was a first team All-American player for John Wooden. In track, Stanich was a high jumper on the Bruins, earning a spot on the 1948 US Olympic Team at the age of 19.At the 1948 Olympics in London, Stanich finished tied for second and received a bronze medal. He was also a pitcher for the UCLA baseball team.

Stanich was drafted by the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) but decided instead to play professional baseball. He pitched for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League for two years.

A career in coaching soon followed.

Stanich coached professional basketball in Split, Yugoslavia for one year, guiding Team Jugoplastika to the national championship. In 1955, Stanich landed a faculty position at El Camino College. He spent 37 years at El Camino, coaching the men’s basketball program for 15 years.

Many of Stanich’s players remain in contact. At a recent reunion, his players commented how he became a father for them. Taking a page from Wooden’s playbook, Stanich helped his players become their best in basketball and in life. In addition to coaching, Stanich taught over 300 students each semester, giving them opportunities to develop various athletic skills and a life-long appreciation for fitness. During his coaching years, the El Camino gym was a gathering place on Saturday mornings for Los Angeles players of all ages looking for competitive games under his guidance.

Stanich also gave back to his community, serving as the Commissioner of Foreign Language Services for the basketball venue at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He also served on the Commission of Parks and Recreation for the City of Gardena.

It was also at UCLA where Stanich met his wife, Valerie. Married for 70 years they have three children, Jim, John and Diana, who teaches and previously coached at College of the Canyons.

The induction into the California Community Colleges Hall of Fame will be Stanich’s seventh induction, after previously being enshrined in the El Camino College Hall of Fame, the Sacramento City College Hall of Fame, the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, UCLA Baseball Hall of Fame, the Northern California Hall of Fame, and the CIF Northern Section Hall of Fame.