SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — James Clyde Dietz, San Diego State University's head baseball coach from 1972 to 2002, died Sunday in Florence, Ore. He was 83. He died of complications from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, his wife Carol told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
After coaching the freshman basketball team and the junior varsity baseball team at the University of Oregon, Dietz was appointed as the head basketball coach at Lewis-Clark Normal School, now Lewis-Clark State College, in May 1971, but turned down that offer a week later to take the head baseball coaching position at San Diego State.
Former players are mourning the loss of Coach Dietz.
“When I think of him, I think of all the good things he’s done for people,” said former SDSU baseball player Rick Schloss. “He’s just a really special guy.”
“Coach Dietz was unique. I mean, I don’t know anybody like him,” said former Aztec Tony Gwynn, Jr. “He became a father figure for me once I got to San Diego State through my first two seasons, so obviously I’m pretty saddened by his loss.”
Rick Schloss played for Coach Dietz at SDSU in the mid-70’s, and they became very close friends even after baseball. He remembers Jim’s work ethic.
“He was there early in the morning raking the field, cutting the lawn, maybe even in the concession stands selling hot dogs, that kind of guy,” said Schloss.
“His leadership and the way that he guided and molded young men was his biggest attribute. He produced a bunch of major league ball players but the ones that didn’t end up playing major league baseball all seemed to have successful lives outside of the game,” said Gwynn, Jr. “To me, that’s the mark of a leader of men.”
Dietz had the most wins -- 1,230 -- in Aztecs history, with a winning percentage of .620.
Under Dietz, the Aztecs went to the NCAA Tournament eight times (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991) while winning the Western Athletic Conference five times (three regular season, two tournaments) and the Mountain West twice (one regular season, one conference).
In fall 2001, Tony Gwynn was hired to replace Dietz at San Diego State following the 2002 season.
Dietz was inducted by SDSU into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, 17 years after he retired. He was a two-time Western Athletic Conference coach of the year.
Dietz sent 26 players to the major leagues, including Gwynn, Bud Black, Travis Lee and Dave Smith.
He is survived by his wife Carol, son Steve, daughter Jenny and several grandchildren.
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