Football coach Dies influenced many

Al Dies, who influenced thousands in the Newport-Mesa football community during more than 40 years of coaching at the high school and youth levels, died Tuesday of heart failure at his Costa Mesa home.

He was 77.

A resident of Costa Mesa since 1959, the Pomona College Hall of Fame offensive guard was one of the initial figures in the growth of Costa Mesa Pop Warner Football in the 1960s. He also coached in the Newport-Mesa Junior All-American program and spent the majority of his estimated 40 seasons as a high school walk-on assistant at Costa Mesa High.

Dies, who owned an electronics company after working for Hughes Aircraft, met his wife Barbara at Inglewood High. They moved to Costa Mesa, where they raised four kids and enjoyed six grandchildren. All four of Dies’ children went to Costa Mesa. Sons David and Steven played football on teams for which Dies coached.

Dave Perkins, who grew up in Costa Mesa, played for one of Dies’ first Pop Warner teams and later worked with Dies as Costa Mesa head coach. He said the broad-shouldered, square-jawed, soft-hearted line coach had a knack for relating with his players and a tireless devotion to the sport.

“Al was not only a good football coach, but the things he did outside of football were tremendous,” Perkins said. “He was a father figure to me and tons of other kids. He would open his home to kids at any time, feed them and talk to them. I know he was real instrumental in getting some of our [Costa Mesa] kids through a tough time involving [senior player Matt Colby’s death from head injuries sustained on the field in a game during the 2001 season].”

Team pregame meals at Dies’ house were an annual tradition for the Mustangs, with whom Dies worked with several head coaches.

“When I came into Costa Mesa, I hired him right off the bat,” said former Mesa head man Myron Miller, now at Tustin High. “We became good friends. He was one of those behind-the-scenes guys who did unbelievable work. He was real instrumental in the run we made to the [1993 CIF Southern Section Division VIII] final. He coached offensive and defensive linemen, and for us, line was the most important position in our offense.”

Both Perkins and Miller described Dies — deeply proud of his service in Korea as a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps — as both a rugged disciplinarian and a caring mentor whose interest in his players went beyond football.

“The kids loved him and he loved them,” Miller said. “He was the kind of coach that I like. He just knew when to yell a little and when to put an arm around a kid. It’s a fine line, and he had that.

“He was an old-time coach who was in it for the kids,” Miller said. “It’s hard to find those people now. Winning was important, but whether it was bad times or good, he was there for the kids. He was a special guy and this is a big loss.”

Dies’ daughter, Jennifer Webb, said she was constantly hearing tales of her father’s benevolence.

“He always carried hard candies in his pocket and when a kid did something good, he’d give one out,” Webb said. “Some kids called him the Candy Man.

“I grew up in Costa Mesa and I still live here. I run into people all the time who tell me how much my dad meant to them and how kind he was. They say they are so lucky to have known him and I realize how lucky I am to have had a father like him.”

Dies, whose other daughter is Linda, also spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Mater Dei (from 1964 to 1973).

Dies played on the only undefeated team in Pomona College history in 1955. The school is now known as Pomona Pitzer.

He received a letter of recruitment from the NFL Chicago Cardinals, but never seriously considered playing professionally, Miller said.

Dies coached the Costa Mesa Caballos to six Orange County championships in nine years from 1963 to 1972.

Dies and Barbara, who married in 1958, enjoyed traveling together in a camper. They were frequent visitors to Mexico, Webb said.