Longtime SCC track and field coach Bob Lanza passed away on January 14, 2026

Coach Bob Lanza joined the SCC coaching staff as the head men's cross-country coach (a position he held for 25 seasons) and track and field assistant in 1969. He became the head track coach for the 1985 season. Lanza's track teams captured 8 conference championships (including 3 three-peats) and finished in the top 10 at the state meet 10 times in his 19 seasons at the helm. His 1997 team was his best as they obliterated the competition at the conference and Nor-Cal meets and finished as the state runner-up (by 2.5 points). Coach Lanza, who was the state coach of the year in 1990, mentored 14 seven-foot high jumpers, and his 1995 group of Jamie Nieto, Gary Schuler, and Jeb Fleming all placed in the top 8 at the state meet. In 1984, Lanza was an assistant coach for Fiji's Olympic team, where he coached SCC decathlete Albert Miller. After his retirement from SCC in 2003, Lanza continued to share his knowledge a volunteer assistant for the Panthers, mentoring high jumpers and javelin throwers through the 2025 season. The Panthers' 2026 season will be dedicated to Coach Bob Lanza.