Former San Ramon Valley coach Hans de Lannoy died on Wednesday after a nearly seven-year battle with cancer. He was 72.
De Lannoy coached all over the Bay Area, but was a legend at SRV where he coached the boys team in the 1980s and the girls in the 2000s. He also had coaching stops at Gunn and California.
Over his long coaching career that spanned over six decades, de Lannoy garnered 512 wins. In 2006, he led SRV’s girls team to an East Bay Athletic League and North Coast Section Division I title.
He coined the term, “Home of Champions” – a slogan that is painted inside the SRV gym walls.
Former San Ramon Valley Boys Basketball Assistant Coach Hans de Lannoy, right, acknowledges the crowd before the start of the game against the visiting Dougherty Valley Wildcats at San Ramon Valley High School in San Ramon, CA on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. De Lannoy was honored before the game, and has this season dedicated to his recovery from cancer. (Don Feria for Bay Area News Group)
“I’ve known him since 1990-91,” SRV coach Brian Botteen said. “I was a student here, and he was my first teacher. And the very first day, the impact that he put on me is what every other person that’s had a part of getting to know him can share. He just had a connection and a way to make you feel comfortable, make you feel like you’re part of something.”
De Lannoy has been an assistant coach under Botteen for the last 10 years, and played a key role in SRV’s run to the CIF Division I title last year. Known for his ability to connect with players and coaches, Botteen said he will miss de Lannoy’s outgoing presence around the team.
“That’s what I’m going to miss the most,” Botteen continued. “In the face of any adversity that he may have had that he didn’t share, he never focused on that. It was always, ‘Hey, how’s your mother-in-law doing? Or how’s your son?’ Always pouring in about other people than himself.
“And I wish we had more people that would take time to do that. And maybe this is a wake up call for some people that we can do that in honoring him. That’s the takeaway that I have at the moment.”
Hans de Lannoy, a longtime San Ramon Valley teacher and basketball coach, is carried off the court by his former players after being inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in Danville on Thursday. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Though De Lannoy had battled health issues for years, his passing was unexpected. De Lannoy was present for SRV’s win over Foothill last Friday, but was out sick for Tuesday’s home game over Dublin, according to Botteen.
“I know there’s been cancer, there’s been remissions and there’s been treatments, but I think that over six or seven years of battling at some point, you know, how much battling is there to give?”
De Lannoy’s battle with cancer started in 2019. He was initially diagnosed with kidney cancer, and had the cancerous kidney removed later that year, but the disease then spread through his lungs. The longtime coach would go on to combat the disease up until his death, but that didn’t keep him away from the hardwood.
Related Articles
Homecoming: Dougherty Valley star Jalen Stokes eager to return to Dublin for rivalry game
Prep roundup: Resilient Oakland completes double-digit comeback in victory over Fremont-Oakland
First-place showdown: Milpitas starts fast, doesn’t let up in rout of Palo Alto
A class of his own: Alec Blair becomes De La Salle’s all-time leading scorer
Rising hoops star: How The King’s Academy’s Boss Mhoon is showing he’s worth the hype
Even during his battle with cancer, de Lannoy continued to coach and was a consistent presence on SRV’s bench as a motivator who had an innate ability to draw up the right play at the right time. De Lannoy credited having a strong support system as his motivation to continue to be around the school and its basketball program.
“It’s hard to describe,” de Lannoy told the Bay Area News Group in 2019. “I just feel very blessed. Everything’s going great. Friends go with me to every (immunotherapy) appointment I have. It’s been incredible.”
Hans de Lannoy, right, a longtime San Ramon Valley High teacher and basketball coach, listens to San Ramon Valley High basketball coach Brian Botteen as de Lannoy is inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in Danville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
News of de Lannoy’s death shocked the local basketball community. Hundreds of former players and colleagues posted on social media to mourn his death and touch on the impact de Lannoy had on their lives.
“A great man. Helped so many with his positive energy,” wrote former Monte Vista basketball coach and NorCal Sports TV commentator Chris Babcock in an X post. “My life is better because of him. Prayers for his family and the community he gave so much too…. Thanks Coach!”
“I would not be a coach without Hans. He will be missed but never forgotten,” California High basketball coach Steve Ohlmeyer wrote in an X post.
Botteen shared that SRV will honor De Lannoy during the rest of the season by wearing shooting shirts with De Lannoy’s name and “Our Champion” written on them. The Wolves will also wear commemorative wristbands to honor De Lannoy and have a moment of silence before their home game against Monte Vista on Friday in Danville.