Lawrence Fan, a fixture of the San Jose State athletics programs, died late Monday night, SJSU athletic director Jeff Konya announced Wednesday.
“We are in the process of dealing with this sad news in real time,” Konya said. “Lawrence was a Hall of Famer in life and work.”
Fan, 67, worked in sports information and media relations at the university beginning in July 1980. In 2019, he was named associate athletics director for football communications and special projects through the 2021 season and worked 501 consecutive SJSU football games.
Interim President Steve Perez said in a Wednesday campuswide email that Fan’s death comes as a shock to the campus community.
“His detailed recall of team and player statistics was legendary, earning him an unofficial title as historian of SJSU sports,” he said.
Members of the campus community said Fan was often at the center of the athletics department, connecting with many journalism students and student athletes throughout his career.
Shaun Fletcher, assistant public relations professor and former SJSU cornerback said when he joined the football team in 2001, Fan was one of the first people new student athletes met.
“He was the one who needed to really understand everything about us, from our bios, our background, to the media, and everything that we were being asked to do,” he said. “He was our guide through a lot of the onboarding process.”
Boogie Roberts, former SJSU defensive lineman from 2014-2018 said Fan was the “ultimate Spartan.”
“This news breaks my heart,” Roberts said in a Twitter message. “There was nobody who brought more energy and knowledge to the Spartan nation more than Lawrence.”
Roberts said Fan had many positive interactions with athletes.
“No matter if you were a walk-on or a starter, Lawrence always greeted you with a smile and a firm handshake and looked you in your eye,” he said.
Fan made history as the first Chinese American inducted in the College Sports Information Directors of America hall of fame in 2012.
Mike Osegueda, SJSU alumnus and former Yahoo sports reporter, said Fan helped prepare him and other student reporters for careers in sports journalism.
“My main memory of Lawrence is he treated all of us who were student reporters just like he treated the pros who were in there," he said. “At the time I don’t think I appreciated it but as I got older, he was trying to teach us to be professional journalists and hold us to that same standard.”
Before his 42 year career with SJSU athletics, Fan attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate student. He then received his master's degree in athletic administration at Western Illinois where he volunteered at the sports information office.
Fan also coordinated multiple efforts to honor student athletes.
He led the Heisman Trophy campaign for former Spartan quarterback Mike Perez during the 1987 season and coordinated all publicity for the three Women's golf NCAA Championships in 1987, 1989 and 1992.
Fan handled publicity for the 1996 SJSU men's basketball team that won the Big West Tournament and played top-seeded Kentucky in the first round of the 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Chris Giovannetti, SJSU alumnus and assistant media relations director at California Polytechnic State University said Fan was ubiquitous, industrious and instrumental in getting interviews with players.
"Everyone on the West Coast probably has a Lawrence Fan story,” Giovanetti said. “He's seen it all in SJSU athletics and was a walking encyclopedia for the school's athletics."
Fletcher said many students often came back to visit Lawrence “just as much as they came back to see anybody.”
“He leaves a massive void; he leaves a legacy for many coming behind him to carry the baton,” he said.
