ROBERT MCANARY

Robert “Bob” McAnary attended Ferris State before coaching at Owengage where his football teams were 24-6-2; including an undefeated Little Seven league championship in 1957. His basketball teams were 60-14 in four seasons with a pair of district titles and three conference crowns. His track teams, competing only his last two years at Owengage, were Little Seven league runner-ups in 1956 and league champs in 1957 and ‘58. The Gary, Indiana, native moved on to Merrill High School in 1959 and had a rather large hand in directing the school’s athletic programs as he coached basketball, football and track for 14 years. During one stretch he served as varsity football coach, varsity, junior varsity and freshman and eighth grade basketball coach, and head track coach. McAnary also served Merrill as the school’s athletic director, teacher, school bus driver, Driver’s Training Instructor, maintained the football field, laundered uniforms, drove the team bus and founded the Merrill High/Merrill Sacred Heart Letterman’s Club and was Varsity Club advisor. During his first year as basketball coach (1962-63) his team won the Central Michigan League title and the district title before losing in the regional to the previous year’s state champion, Muskegon Christian. In 1963-64, his basketball team won the Central Michigan League championship with a 14-2 record, won a second district crown, and lost in the regional championship to Byron Center. The 1964 football team was 7-1, winning the Central Michigan League title. This was the first football championship in Merrill High School history. His 1971 team finished 6-1-1 earning the Vandals the Class C area football crown. One year later Merrill won the Central Michigan League crown going undefeated and racking up 237 points in eight games while allowing only 52. Four of the contests were shutouts. McAnary was a charter member of the Merrill Community Spirit Committee, an organization established to promote Merrill. He was instrumental in writing the original goals and rules of CSC and continued to be a hard-working and dedicated member until his death in 2000 at the age of 76. Over the years CSC has raised in excess of $80,000 for various community improvements which includes equipment for the volunteer fire department, community library, Village Park, school promotion and improvements. The school’s football field has been renamed the McCarthy-Speir-McAnary football field in his honor.