Historical Association #5
Alvin Webb is my name. If you’re even a little bit athletic and your last name is Webb, you can plan on being called “Spider.” So that’s me, Spider Webb. I graduated from UCLA with a theater degree in 1952. I also played small forward for the hoops team, starting in both my junior and senior seasons.
When I graduated I had to decide between theater and hoops. I chose hoops. Making a living in theater is just too unlikely.
I got a job as the assistant coach at the biggest high school in Oakland. Two years later I became their head coach. I won the California state championship three years later, and then repeated.
At that point Cal-Poly offered me the #1 assistant job. Their head coach retired this April, and they offered me the job. I said yes before I even knew what the salary was. It’s not much!
Just a little more background. My dad, Louis “Spider” (can’t be avoided) Webb, was a professional baseball player, a third baseman. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and later coached first base for them. When they moved to L.A., the family came West. Dad made some very shrewd investments in television when it was still just an idea, and he made A LOT of money. He was kind enough to support me when I was just an assistant high school coach, and really, until I came here as an assistant. I couldn’t have done it without his help.
Dad still coaches for the Dodgers. At 55 years of age he could retire, could have retired 5-6 years ago due to the TV money, but he loves baseball and loves being in that environment. They’ll need to tear the uniform off him.
Back to my theater background. I can’t do stage plays because of my involvement in hoops. The practices and the travel make that impossible. BUT, I do “extra” work in films, and even get small speaking parts in both movies and television. I really enjoy that, and I hope to keep doing it.
San Luis Obispo, where Cal-Poly is located, is about halfway between L. A. and San Francisco. It’s a bit of a drive to get to L.A. for a film or TV shoot, but I manage to do it in the off season. And, more and more, both movies and TV are shot away from the studio lots, so sometimes it’s not a long commute for me.
I also do a little night club work. I have a comedy magic act that goes over pretty well, and I get booked in L. A. and Frisco. It’s a lot of fun. I don’t want to sponge off dad, and haven’t since I became an assistant here. The money I make from my act, along with the assistant coach salary, allowed me to become independent. The head coach job here doesn’t pay a lot, but it’s a step up from where I was, and I can easily support myself.
What else? I’m 28, as of today, 6’4” tall, and in very good shape. I take being in shape seriously. I’m single, and I LOVE the ladies!
Okay, let’s get to hoops!