Occidental Assistant Dies

Chris Small, an assistant coach at Occidental College and a former standout player at Manual Arts High and Los Angeles City College, died late Monday night after collapsing while working out in the Occidental gym, an Occidental spokesman said. He was 31.

Small was playing basketball with a friend when he collapsed at about 10:30 p.m., said Jim Tranquada, director of communications for Occidental.

Small’s friend called paramedics on a cell phone and a campus safety officer started cardiopulmonary resuscitation before Small was taken by ambulance to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Tranquada said. Small was pronounced dead at 11:59 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Alicia Gonzalez said.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is awaiting the case, said Lt. Fred Corral of the coroner’s investigations division. Corral said cases involving persons under 50 usually require an autopsy to determine cause of death.

Small was a full-time student at Cal State Los Angeles and had been an assistant coach at Pasadena Poly High for four years before joining the Occidental staff, Tranquada said.

Small, a 6-foot guard, averaged 20 points a game for Manual Arts in 1986-87 and 1987-88, helping the Toilers to the 1988 state championship. He also played at New Mexico State after transferring from LACC.