Coach Lovett Collapses, Dies

Mark Lovett, a former football coach at Cal State Northridge and at two Southland high schools, collapsed and died Monday while coaching at Mountain Pointe High in Tempe, Ariz.

Lovett, 46, collapsed at practice after a water break and was pronounced dead at St. Luke’s Hospital in Tempe, apparently from a heart attack, said Ian Moses, Mountain Pointe athletic director.

Lovett played at Woodland Hills El Camino Real High and went on to Arizona State, where he was the Sun Devils’ second-leading rusher from 1974-76.

Lovett returned to the region and served as an assistant at El Camino Real from 1981-85.

He became running backs coach at Northridge from 1986-88 before taking over as head coach for two years at Panorama City St. Genevieve High. He returned to Northridge for one season in 1993.

Lovett had a 92-yard touchdown run in 1972 against Reseda that is still believed to be an El Camino Real record.

“He was extremely dependable and very knowledgeable and willing to learn,” said Skip Giancanelli, head coach at El Camino Real from 1969-87. “He got along so well with the kids when he came back to coach. They respected him because they knew what kind of a player he was when he was at El Camino.”

Lovett started at fullback for the undefeated 1975 Arizona State team that won the Fiesta Bowl and finished No. 2 in the nation. He was co-captain and team most valuable player in 1976.