Dan Cordero

Daniel Cordero, a Santa Barbara High graduate of 1960 who’s been a Carpinteria resident since 1968, has been giving back to the local sports community for more than four decades.

Cordero has had a full life: longtime local youth coach, high school JV & Varsity coach, youth sports coordinator, board member, referee, loving husband of 49 years, father of five, grandfather of 14, U.S. Marine.

Generations of Carpinteria athletes know Dan as a caring coach, role model and standout supporter. Many more benefit from his efforts that don’t even know it.

“I guess I can be described as persistent, and never satisfied when I feel enough isn’t being done to kick-start projects that need to be done,” Cordero says. “I guess it is just some of the residue left over from my time in the Marines.”

“’No’ and ‘Maybe’ should never be an option.”

Cordero said he was shaped in a positive way by his experiences at the downtown Boys and Girls Club as a Santa Barbara youth growing up on the East Side. He’s since served as Athletic Director and Board President for the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club, while also filling a board role at the Santa Barbara B&GC.

He spent 34 years in the announcer’s booth at Carpinteria High football games as a spotter and is currently still actively involved in local youth football in Carpinteria.

Dan and Barbara have much to celebrate this year. After Dan’s Hall of Fame induction, the pair is looking forward to a 50th wedding anniversary in August.

“I have enjoyed being involved with the young people in our community for the last 43 years and working with the other coaches, administrators, parents and community members to provide a safe, healthy athletic environment in the city we locals like to call ‘Carpas.’”