Remembering Herb Meyer

Oceanside, Calif., April 11, 2023 - Herbert C. Meyer, 87 of Oceanside, Calif. passed away April 8, 2023, while vacationing in Spokane, Washington his family announced today.

A funeral mass was held at the Serra Center at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA on Friday May 19, 2023.

A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday May 20, 2023 at the Herb Meyer Stadium on the campus of El Camino High School. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Herb Meyer Memorial Scholarship Fund, a California nonprofit corporation (a Go Fund Me page has been set up at https://gofund.me/80a99518) or El Camino Parents Assisting Wildcat Sports (PAWS).

Herb was born on May 2, 1935, in Seattle Washington to Ebba and Carl Meyer, moving to Oceanside in the 1940's with his family.  He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years Carol, sons David and Joseph and his wife Cathy; his granddaughter Lauren and grandson Scott; his brother Carl, Jr. and his wife Harriet, sister-in-law Sonia Meyer and her children, his niece Michelle Walker and nephew Michael Meyer. Herb was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth.

Herb graduated from Oceanside-Carlsbad High School in 1953.  He attended Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College and graduated from Pomona College in 1957. Herb played football, basketball, baseball and ran track in high school and college. Upon graduation, he secured a teaching and coaching job at Pomona College and returned to Oceanside High School in 1958 and began a 46-year teaching and coaching career in Oceanside.

Herb was a devout Catholic and a parishioner at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.

A mass will be held at Mission San Luis Rey. Details to follow.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the El Camino Parents Assisting Wildcat Sports (PAWS).

A Sports Legend
A graduate of Oceanside-Carlsbad High School in 1953, Herb was the Pirate’s quarterback. He went on to attend Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College and graduated from Pomona College in 1957 where he earned letters in football, basketball, baseball and track and field.  Herb was assistant freshman football coach at Pomona College in 1957 following his graduation.

Herb returned to Oceanside High in 1958 to teach and coach football.  Herb became the assistant football coach at Oceanside high in 1958. He became head coach in 1959 and was head baseball coach until 1972.  Under Herb’s leadership, the Pirates won 112 games and two CIF championships over 17 years.  Herb became the Athletic Director at Oceanside in 1972.

Herb went on to coach El Camino High School, Oceanside, where he became the first head football coach and Athletic Director at the school. He guided the Wildcats to 226 wins and eight CIF championships over 28 seasons.

Herb retired following the 2003 season after 47 years of coaching (45 of which he served as head coach). Herb was one of the most highly respected interscholastic coaches in the history of the game. At the time of his retirement, Herb had more wins than any coach in the history of California High School football with 338 victories.  He became the first coach in California history to win 300 games and the first to win at least 100 games at two different schools.  Over his illustrious career, Herb garnered 338 victories winning 10 CIF championships.

Before his final home game in 2003, the El Camino Football Stadium was renamed Herb Meyer Stadium in his honor.  As a result, he was able to coach his final game in his stadium.

Herb was a Teacher, Coach, Speaker and Mentor.

Herb was extensively honored for his exceptional career accomplishments including being inducted into eleven different Halls of Fame.

1972   Pomona College Athletic Hall of Fame

1978   City of Oceanside, Athletic Hall of Fame

1990   California Coaches Association Hall of Fame

1995   National Federation, National High School Sports Hall of Fame
           FIRST coach ever inducted from California

1997   National High School Athletic Coaches Association, Hall of Fame
           FIRST coach ever inducted from California

2002   National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame

2006   Oceanside High School Hall of Fame - Athletics
           1 of 13 in the charter class

2011   C.I.F. San Diego Section Inaugural Hall of Fame
           1 of 15 in the charter class

2011   National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Hall of Fame
           FIRST athletic administrator ever inducted from California

2019   El Camino High School Football Hall of Fame
           1 of 2 in the charter class

2022    California High School Football Hall of Fame
            1 OF 13 coaches in the inaugural class