ROLAND ORTMAYER (1917-2008)

Roland "Ort" Ortmayer, longtime University of La Verne faculty member and a nationally recognized coach who spent 43 years guiding the Leopards football program, died early Thursday morning. He was 91.

Ortmayer, who was appointed head football and baseball coach in 1948 at what was then La Verne College, grew to become an iconic figure at the school by the time he retired in 1991. While he also managed the basketball and track & field programs and served as athletic director during his tenure, he was most recognized for coaching football, finishing his career with a 182-193-8 record and earning induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1979.

Yet for generations of La Verne students it was Ortmayer's winning personality, gentle ways and compassionate ideals that made him so engaging. Many still refer to Ortmayer as the most influential person in their lives.

University President Steve Morgan said that Ortmayer "genuinely embodied the mission and spirit of this university for thousands of students and alumni."

"To refer to Ort only as ‘coach' falls short of describing this unique individual. An educator, mentor and philosopher, he was one of those rare few whose every deed reflected his values," Morgan said. "Ort always did what he thought was important; fortunately for us, his values emphasized the very same things La Verne believes are important."

Women's basketball coach and interim director of athletics Julie Kline added that, despite his having been retired for nearly 18 years, Ortmayer's influence remains indelibly imprinted throughout the Leopards intercollegiate program.

"The La Verne Athletics Department has lost a great friend and a legendary leader. Ort laid the foundation for success in our department during his more than 40-year tenure here,' Kline said. "At the same time, he never lost sight that he was an educator first. To Ort, making a difference in young people's lives was what really mattered."

In 1996 he was an inaugural class inductee to the university's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ortmayer coached football in six different decades at La Verne. His teams shared the conference title on two occasions, but the Leos never captured an outright title. And while the program never produced any professional football players, many of his former student-athletes went on to coach at the high school and collegiate levels.

His was a distinctive coaching style paired with an unassuming personality. He never used a playbook, fearing it would stifle creativity and cause predictability. He didn't require attendance at practice nor game film sessions, didn't believe in weight training, and he set no curfews. He never cut a player, rarely recruited, typically didn't start practice until after the fall semester began, and usually didn't know exactly who or even how many would show up on day one.

Often referred to in later years as a "throwback" to a bygone era, Ortmayer usually countered by gently reminding that football is supposed to be fun, not a life-and-death issue. "It's a rough-and-tumble game for kids which has evolved into something better suited for young men in their twenties," Ortmayer said. "I'd prefer not to be called a dinosaur; I'd like it said I was a disciple of the sports arena who tried to keep alive what sport is about and for."

Even into his final season, Ortmayer did more than just strategize and instruct. His duties ran the gamut of the game, from chalking the field for play, washing and mending uniforms and often helping clean up the stadium afterward.

In September 1989 he was the subject of a feature article in Sports Illustrated's College Football Preview issue. Written by Douglas S. Looney, "A Most Unusual Man" focused on Ortmayer's influence on the lives of those around him. To simply label him as a coach, Looney wrote, "Is like praising Picasso for knowing the primary colors."

That article led to a television feature by ABC national news and a feature segment on Paul Harvey's syndicated radio program.

Ortmayer's inimitable nature carried over into his teaching. Besides instructing classes such as "Throwing" and "Climbing" during the normal school year, each summer he taught a hybrid course, "When Lewis and Clark Met the Mountains," a month-long trip that followed a portion of that historic expedition's route. Students would spend each day kayaking, rafting or canoeing and discus the historical journals while camping each evening. A group of former class members, families and friends still gather every summer for an "alumni float."

Roland Ortmayer was born on August 22, 1917, in College Park, Md., where his father, a Methodist minister, was awaiting a missionary assignment. Due to the war in Europe, that assignment wound up sending the Ortmayer family to Montana, where they eventually settled in the community of Roundup.

Prior to coming to La Verne in 1948, Ortmayer held a number of scholastic positions, including serving as director of athletics and physical education at William Penn College (Iowa).

Roland Ortmayer is preceded in death by his wife, Corni, who died in 1996, and son, David, who died in 1953 at the age of 6. He is survived by a sister, Marillee Franke of Madison (Wisc.), two daughters, Suzi Bowles of Belgrade (Mont.) and Corlan Harrison of Upland, along with four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Arrangements for family services are pending. Information on a university memorial service will be made available when the details are finalized.