Shan Deniston
American athlete and coach (1919–2020) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shannon Willis Deniston (February 28, 1919 – April 4, 2020) was an American athlete and sports coach. A native of Long Beach, Deniston attended St. Mary's College of California for one year before starting a professional baseball career in 1939. He played for several minor league teams before serving in World War II at the San Diego Marine Corps Base. While there he also coached the baseball team at Pepperdine University, where he received a degree, and played professional football in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPFL) and on a military service team. After the war was over Deniston returned to professional baseball as a player-manager, spending 1947 to 1955 both playing for and managing several minor league teams while also serving as a college coach at Pepperdine and Drake University. Deniston retired from playing in 1956 and became a high school football coach, a position he would serve in until 1977, when he was named head coach at United States International University. He retired from coaching in 1987. Deniston became a centenarian in 2019 and died at the age of 101 in 2020.
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | (1919-02-28)February 28, 1919 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
Died | April 4, 2020(2020-04-04) (aged 101) San Diego, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | St. Mary's College of California Pasadena City College Pepperdine University |
Playing career | |
Baseball | |
1938 | St. Mary's |
1939 | Pasadena JC |
1939 | El Paso Texans |
1940–1942 | Portland Beavers |
1940 | Boise Pilots |
1940 | Wenatchee |
1940 | Idaho Falls Russets |
1940 | Big Spring Barons/Odessa Oilers |
1941 | Anaheim Aces |
c. 1945 | Pepperdine |
1947 | Mayfield Clothiers |
1948 | Pittsburg Browns |
1948 | Belleville Stags |
1949 | Olean Oilers |
1950 | Audubon Cardinals |
1951 | Lakes-Denison |
1951 | Des Moines Bruins |
1951 | Colorado Springs Sky Sox |
1952 | Kellogg Cardinals |
1953–1954 | Storm Lake White Caps |
1954 | New Ulm |
1955 | Estherville Cardinals/Red Sox |
Football | |
1938 | St. Mary's |
1939 | Pasadena JC |
1942 | Los Angeles Bulldogs |
1942, 1945, 1948 | Hollywood Bears |
c. 1944 | San Diego Bombers |
1944 | El Toro Marine Corps Air Station |
1946 | Los Angeles |
Basketball | |
c. 1944 | Pepperdine |
Position(s) | Catcher, outfielder, first baseman (baseball) guard, quarterback, halfback (football) |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Baseball | |
1944 | Pepperdine |
1947 | Mayfield Clothiers |
1948 | Pittsburg Browns |
1948 | Belleville Stags |
1949 | Olean Oilers |
1950–1955 | Drake |
1950 | Audubon Cardinals |
1951 | Lakes-Denison |
1953–1954 | Storm Lake White Caps |
1955 | Estherville Cardinals/Red Sox |
1985–1986 | Lincoln HS |
Football | |
1946–1948 | Pepperdine (GA/E) |
1949–1955 | Drake (E) |
1956 | La Jolla HS |
1957–1969 | Lincoln HS |
1971–1976 | San Diego HS |
1977–1978 | United States International |
Basketball | |
1946 | Pepperdine (asst.) |
Gymnastics | |
1947–1948 | Pepperdine |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
c. 1949–1955 | Drake (intramural director) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
| |