Longtime women's volleyball assistant coach, Adrian Delgado, dies at 56

COSTA MESA -- Longtime Orange Coast College women's volleyball assistant coach, Adrian Delgado, passed away on Friday morning at Keck Medicine of USC after a short, but hard-fought battle with liver cancer. He was 56 years old.

"We are very saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Delgado," OCC Athletics Director, Jason Kehler said. "He was a staple of the women's volleyball coaching staff and his impact will be missed."

Delgado, a member of the OCC volleyball coaching staff for all three of the Pirate volleyball programs, spent 32 years at Orange Coast and he helped the Pirates to four state championships. He was on staff for the 1994 men's state crown as well as three more titles for the women in 2005, 2006 and 2009. 

"Adrian and I started coaching together at OCC when I was 25 and he was 24," OCC women's volleyball coach and longtime friend, Chuck Cutenese said. "We've been coaching at OCC for 32 years and you could say we grew up together.  In 32 years, we've coached 32 women's indoor teams, eight women's beach team and 13 men's indoor teams for a total of 53 teams. 

"What started as a coaching relationship, quickly grew into a friendship and then a bond like brothers.  We shared everything with each other, good and bad.  We spent hours in the office before and after practice and matches not only talking about the team but what was going on in our lives.  We leaned on each other when needed, I more on him than he on me."

The second-oldest of 12 siblings, Delgado began his coaching career as an assistant under OCC Hall of Famer, Jane Hilgendorf and his spot on the bench never got cold from that moment on.  "I remember when I stopped playing volleyball after high school, I was at OCC, taking a class with (then head women's head coach) Jane Hilgendorf and I asked her if she needed any help on the bench," Delgado said in a story for the women's volleyball media guide. "I knew I wanted to be a coach and I hoped I could stay at Coast and learn as much as possible."

Following the departure of Hilgendorf, Cutenese took over the men's and women's programs and the Pirate coaching duo began a three-decade run of excellence rarely seen at the community college level.

"Adrian was fiercely loyal," OCC men's volleybal coach, Travis Turner, said. " He was loyal To Orange Coast, to volleyball and to Chuck. His passion will be greatly missed."

With his experience of coaching volleyball on a majority of different levels -- from OCC to the Baja Volleyball Club to the Saddleback Valley Volleyball Club as well as the Mexican National Team -- Delgado brought various coaching styles and as well as an incredible amount of knowledge to the Pirate program, something that Cutenese did not take for granted. 

 "I have never considered any team, MY team ... I've always called the team, OUR team," Cutenese said. "I've always wanted the coaching staff to feel they have a voice in what we are doing. Adrian was a great coach ... not just because of his volleyball knowledge, not because of his national and Olympic experience with the men's national team of Mexico. He was a great coach because of his love of the sport, his selflessness and his giving of himself to the athletes."

Since 2007, Delgado has been a coach for the Mexican National Team, where he continues to help that team prepare for Olympic qualifying competition. In 2014, Delgado rejoined the Mexican National Team as an assistant coach as they headed to Poland for the World Championships. In 2016, Delgado helped the Mexican National Team qualify for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first time since 1968.

It's been a rough an painful battle with cancer for Delgado, but in his typical form, the quiet coach continued to press on and was a positive role model to the program all the way to the final match of the season this year.

"Adrian had known he was sick for a while," Cutenese said. "Unfortunately, we didn't know how sick.  He had talked about retiring and going to his family's ranch in Mexico.  He said he would retire when I retired.  We came into OCC together and he wanted us to go out of OCC together.  I can't help but wonder if he stayed because he knew I needed him.  I watched him work so hard to make practices and matches.  I knew he was uncomfortable and in pain and I'd tell him to stay home but he kept coming.  He said volleyball made him happy and he needed the team.

"The day before our first playoff match, we talked.  He wanted to know all (assistant coach Amber McCarthy) and I had learned about Mt. SAC.  He talked about what the team needed to do and what I needed to do. He said, 'Let them play. Chuck. and don't yell at them.' He ended the conversation by thanking me for letting him coach with me at OCC.  I told him 'you're welcome', but it was I who needed to thank him.  I told him he had given so much of himself for so little in return.  We told each other we loved each other and that was our last conversation. He will always be with me in spirit and when I'm coaching.  He has helped shape me as a coach and a person.  I was very fortunate to have such a good man, friend and brother in my life."

In spite of just a brief relationship with Delgado, OCC freshman middle blocker Paige Cutwright connected with the longtime coach and admired his fight through this dreaded disease. "I was only with Coach Adrian for this season, but within that time, I learned so much from him," Cutwright said. "I always admired his love and his knowledge for volleyball and even through all of his personal issues, he still showed up for us. He was truly an amazing coach and the program will miss him dearly."

Delgado is survived by his wife, Miriam, as well as his family and friends. He will always be Forever a Pirate.

For those interested in assisting the family, a GoFundMe account has been created and can be found by CLICKING HERE.