Irwin gains Pacific’s Alonzo Stagg Award

DON CANTRELL

Al Irwin, an outstanding athlete and coach for decades in the Newport

Harbor area, has been named to receive the coveted Amos Alonzo Stagg

Award for merit from the University of the Pacific Jan. 24 in

Stockton.

Only 43 other prominent athletic personalities have been honored

over the years with the Stagg Award.

The recipients chosen by Pacific officials are those who measure

up to Stagg’s notable examples of integrity, dedication, idealism and

team spirit.

The major force behind the nomination for Irwin was a one-time

versatile athlete from Newport Harbor High named Daren McGavren, who

is also a Pacific alum.

Two others scheduled for the award include Matt Equinoa, Class of

1952, and Dr. Terry Maple, of ’68. Irwin was a ’42 graduate.

The recognition luncheon will be at Pacific Stadium from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m. The trio will also be honored at the men’s basketball game,

which starts at 3 p.m.

Irwin has invited one of his noted gridders, Mel Smalley, who

scored 104 points as a halfback in ‘49, to attend the ceremonies as a

guest. Smalley attended Pacific in the mid-50s and played football

for the Tigers.

Initially, Irwin had received a scholarship offer from USC when he

was attending Harbor High, but later changed his direction to Pacific

because he favored a smaller college and also held a high regard for

Stagg.

Irwin was a 16 letterwinner in sports at Newport. As a guard and

fullback, he played four years of football under the late Ralph Reed.

Irwin earned Co-Player of the Year in the Orange League in ’35.

He returned in ’48 to coach Newport football through ’55. His ’49

team won eight, lost one and scored 323 points.

He was later hired by Dr. Basil Peterson of Orange Coast College

to tutor the Pirate grid team.

His ’56 season was a whirlwind of success as the Pirates captured

the Eastern Conference and went on to play Stockton in the Potato

Bowl in Bakersfield.

Unfortunately, Irwin’s health was not up to par and he chose to

retire as the football coach and turned his attention to coaching

Pirate aquatic sports.

Irwin had a long, rich history in directing aquatic sports at the

Newport Beach Lifeguard Department for years and as a swim instructor

with the Navy during World War II at the Great Lakes Training Center.

In time, he was hired away from OCC by UC Irvine and continued on

with numerous championships in water polo and swimming.

He later became the school’s athletic director and served with

pride and distinction.

Stagg was once regarded as one of the founding fathers of football

and was a master of he T-formation, which Irwin brought to Newport in

‘48.

Stagg was one of the prolific inventors in the game of football.

Mrs. Lois Irwin, who married Al Irwin out of Pacific, was amused

once by Chicago University in regard to Stagg’s career.

“They fired him many years later because he was too old,” she

said.

Stagg could accept their opinion, but he simply advanced to

Pacific where he continued coaching the grid sport for more years. He

died at age 104.

Stagg earned All-American honors at end for Yale in 1892.