Robert L. Milano

1939 - 2025

Robert L. Milano
12/14/1939 - 09/15/2025
Robert "Bob" Milano, a fixture in the Bay Area baseball community and the winningest head coach in Cal baseball history, died from Alzheimer's related complications on September 15, 2025. He was 85 years old.
Bob was born on December 14, 1939, in Oakdale, CA to Guido and Alice joining his older sister Margaret in the Milano family. Bob grew up in Oakland during a golden age of youth baseball and played both basketball and baseball in his early years. His more formal youth sports memories include competing with and against future Hall of Fame players Joe Morgan and Willie Stargell ultimately representing Oakland in the Babe Ruth Youth World series.
Bob went on to success at Bishop O'Dowd High School in both academics and sports. He also met his first wife Carol Matthews during their time together at Bishop O'Dowd.
Bob moved on to St. Mary's College in Moraga to further his education and play baseball. His time there was brief, when the pull of Berkeley and an offer from Head Coach Wolfman to become a California Golden Bear was irresistible. A turning point decision that would alter the rest of his life.
Milano was a catcher for the Golden Bears in 1960 and '61 where he led the team in hitting with a .357 batting average in 1960. Bob worked as a graduate assistant at Cal while completing his degree and teaching credential before charting off on his own career.
Bob's career and family launched concurrently with his marriage to Carol Milano (Matthews) in 1962 and they quickly started a family, Bob Jr, Paula, Laura and Audrey. They lived in San Leandro while Bob worked first at Manor Junior High School and then at Burlingame High as a PE teacher and Varsity Baseball Coach, before sending down family roots in Castro Valley.
With the encouragement and support of his former Cal Coach George Wolfman, Milano returned to Cal in the early 1970's as an assistant baseball coach for Jackie Jensen and an assistant athletic director. As a coach, the signs of his leadership, community building, and passion for Cal were already starting to emerge on the practice field, on the recruiting trail, and with the alumni community. After 4 years as an assistant coach, he was selected as the new head coach of the baseball program prior to the 1978 season.
Coach Milano quickly built a unified coaching staff consisting of two Cal baseball alumni, Greg Warzecka and John Hughes, with another key member of the support team, trainer Paul Mohler. Their unity, single purpose, and energy delivered maybe his best team in 1980, finishing tied for first in the Conference and reaching the College World Series, ultimately finishing 3rd nationally. While Bob cherished every team and every player during the Berkeley years, there was and remains a special bond with his first team to visit Omaha.
Bob was known to a large segment of the Cal baseball community simply as "7" the number he wore on the diamond. It's one of only four retired numbers in program history.
In his 22 seasons (1978-99) at the helm of the Cal program, the Bears went 688-644-4, qualified for regional play six times and made it to the College World Series in 1980, '88 and '92. During Milano's tenure as head coach, he mentored and coached 21 major leaguers, and many more who played professionally in the minor leagues.
Milano twice was named the Pac-10 Southern Division Co-Coach of the Year (1980, 1992). He was an assistant coach on the U.S. Team that won gold in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the head coach of the U.S. National Team in 1997. He is a member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010.
Winning baseball games and developing major league talent were clearly important, but mentoring and developing young men was his true passion. Bob leaned on baseball as an instrument to build character and work ethic, always striving for excellence while learning how to deal with failure, and most importantly building strong lasting relationships.
Bob routinely encouraged his players to keep pushing forward on their Cal degree no matter how difficult, or how easy it would be to leave it in the rearview mirror. He would tell players "the odds are not in your favor" with professional baseball, but a Cal degree is a guarantee for opportunity. Bob's proudest professional moments included witnessing players receive their degrees from Cal, passing the Bar exam, getting accepted to medical school, having their first child, and transforming into extraordinary individuals.
In 1992, Bob married Diane Milano (Alden) and they were blessed with his 4th daughter, Gina. Bob thoroughly enjoyed his retirement, coaching Gina's teams, working for the Big C Society, and staying actively engaged in collegiate baseball.
Milano is survived by his wife Diane, son Bob Jr., daughters Paula, Laura, Audrey and Gina, their spouses, five grandchildren, his sister Marge Potestio, and first wife Carol Milano (Matthews). He will also be missed by the extended families of the Alden's, Matthews', Milano's, Pecchenino's, and Potestio's.
Donations in his honor can be made to:
The Cal Baseball Foundation, Bob Milano Memorial Fund
Attention: Mr. Dan Deaver Managing Partner, Cal Class of 1984
CSM&D 1777 Botelho Drive, Suite 350 Walnut Creek CA 94596