Santa Ana’s Ross Retiring After Season

Santa Ana High School baseball coach Bill Ross, the dean of the county’s baseball coaches with 465 victories in 31 seasons, has announced that he will retire following the 1990 season.

Ross, 56, said his added responsibilities as the school’s athletic director this year prompted him to quit coaching. He will continue as the school’s athletic director.

“I won’t be leaving athletics, I just won’t be coaching the baseball team,” Ross said. “I’m enjoying the job as athletic director and plan to stay involved with all of our sports at Santa Ana.

“I figured this was a good time to do it (retire). We’re leaving the Century League after this season and I’ve had some great friendships with the coaches in the league.”

Ross has a 465-221 record in 31 seasons, winning a Southern Section title, six league championships and qualifying for the Southern Section playoffs 18 times. He won the Sunset League title his first season at Santa Ana in 1959 and the Saints advanced to the semifinals of large school division.

Santa Ana won the 3-A division title in 1982. That championship team was led by outfielder Billy Bean, now a member of the Dodgers’ organization.

“I would have liked to have had a shot at 500 career wins, but that’s not an easy goal to reach,” Ross said. “There was a time when schools didn’t go to playoffs unless they won the league.”

Ross also coached lower level football for 18 years and has been a football and basketball referee for 31 years in the county.

Ross opens his final season Monday when the Saints play Mater Dei’s junior varsity in the Newport-Tustin tournament.