Oscar Romero, one of the winningest coaches and most influential figures in the history of high school baseball in Tucson, died Friday after a multiyear battle with liver cancer. He was 65.

A graduate of Tucson High School, Romero served as the Badgers’ head coach from 1990-2018. His teams won 488 games and made it to the state championship game three times. Romero was an assistant coach for the 1987 and ’88 Tucson High clubs that won the state title.

Romero also coached American Legion teams that won 16 state championships and made one appearance in the American Legion World Series.

Romero was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

“Man, he coached the game of baseball,” said Mark Morris, who worked as an assistant under Romero and succeeded him as Tucson High’s head coach. “He was all about the kids.

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“He was tough, but he loved every kid. It was incredible to see.”

Tucson head coach Oscar Romero, center, talks to his players before the state Division II baseball championship game between Canyon del Oro and Tucson High on May 19, 2015, at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Mike Christy, Arizona Daily Star 2015

Romero most recently served as an assistant coach at Pima Community College under Ken Jacome. The school posted the following message on social media:

“Pima Community College … and all of Pima Athletics would like to send our deepest condolences to Oscar Romero’s family, friends and the Tucson baseball community. A great person, family man, friend and mentor. We’ll always cherish the memories.”

Romero also spent time as an assistant coach at Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado, where his son, Orlando, played. Oscar’s desire to spend more time with Orlando prompted him to leave Tucson High in 2018.

“There’s a time for everything,” Romero told the Star in ’18. “I love the red and white like no other. … What a dream to come back and coach at your own school.”

Oscar Romero, coach of the Tucson High School baseball team, talks to his players at the start of practice at Cherry Field on April 9, 2014.

Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star 2014

Romero recommended Morris to succeed him. Morris was an assistant coach at Pima at the time.

“That relationship changed from coach and mentor to basically friend at that point,” Morris said. “He was almost like a father to me, just trying to guide me and make sure that I had everything I needed. … He was one of our biggest supporters.”

Romero taught at Tucson High for more than 30 years and also served as the school’s golf coach from 1988-2011. He was largely responsible for the creation of the Chris Moon Memorial Tournament, an annual event at Cherry Field honoring former Tucson High and University of Arizona baseball player Chris Moon, who joined the Army and was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.

Romero was an all-state baseball player at Tucson High. He played two years at Pima before transferring to UTEP.

Tucson High is participating in the upcoming Team Emery Classic, which begins Thursday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Team Emery is a nonprofit charitable organization. The tournament festivities include a fan fest and silent auction from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. Half of the proceeds from the tournament and fan fest will be donated to Romero’s family.

Romero is survived by his wife, Jo Ann; four children; and one granddaughter.

Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social

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