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- Year:
- 1969-2004
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- Sports Played:
- Track and Field Head Coach; Athletic Director
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- Induction Year:
- 2014
Bio
With over 35 years of his life spent on the campus of Orange Coast College, longtime track and field coach Fred Hokanson helped guide and mentor some of the best athletes to ever wear a Pirate uniform. After playing football and running track and field at OCC, Hokanson came back in 1969. After eight years as an assistant, Hokanson became the school’s track and field head coach in 1978, and during his tenure, the Pirates were among the top programs in the state year in and year out. In addition to numerous conference meet titles, 11 different Pirate athletes won individual state titles, including fellow hall of famer Zoila Gomez and Araceli Martinez, who won multiple state titles. Gomez won three state titles in 1999 (10,000 meters) and 2000 (5,000 and 10,000), while Martinez won the 5,000 and 10,000 in 1998.
One of Hokanson’s top athletes — fellow HOF inductee Sheldon Blockberger — was a 1985 state champion in the decathlon and the following year, fellow Pirate George Wainscoat captured the 1986 decathlon title. Other state titles during Hokanson’s tenure include Leon Phillips (javelin, 1985), Gus Quinones (10,000, 1984), Dave Parcel (10,000, 1987), John Gerhardt (5,000, 1981), Liz Bauer (high jump, 1990), Jill Harrington (1,500, 1985) and Donna Harris (1,500, 1997). Following his coaching career, Hokanson was named the school’s dean of physical education/athletics and athletic director in 2000, where he helped keep the Pirates’ athletic department among the top programs in the entire state.
