Russ Messner

Messner was Salinas High School’s sole varsity basketball coach from 1947 to 1972. His teams won six league championships. Messner’s legacy, however, is more about building winning character than it is about winning basketball teams. He had a special gift to wring the very most out of his players and instill in them an abiding love of the game. It’s no coincidence that many of his former players became remarkable high school basketball coaches themselves. Messner died September 28, 1977. His front-page obituary in the Salinas Californian aptly dubbed him “Salinas’ Mr. Basketball.”