WARREN “WHITEY” WILSON

Warren “Whitey” Wilson was born in Traverse City but participated in high school athletics for Manistique High School. After one year at Michigan State, he transferred to Northern Michigan University where he spent the next three years lettering in football, basketball and track. He earned nine varsity letters for the Wildcats, but instead of becoming the school’s first 12-letter athlete, he decided to concentrate on his studies and not play sports his senior year. After graduation he was the assistant coach at Marquette High School before accepting the head basketball coaching job at Calumet High School. Wilson was 27-39 during his four-year stay at Calumet. He moved on to Frankenmuth High School where he coached varsity basketball, golf and baseball. He also was an assistant varsity football coach and a freshman football coach. Wilson coached basketball for 32 years, golf for 30, football for 15, and baseball for 12. The legendary cage coach won 520 games and lost 183 for a .740 winning percentage from 1965-96. Under his direction the Eagles won 13 Tri-Valley and Thumb B Association crowns, 17 district titles, two regional championships and just two losing seasons. Wilson also guided Frankenmuth to the Class B final four in 1988. He is the winningest boy’s high school basketball coach in Saginaw County, and his 36-year career coaching record is 547-222 – currently the fifth most wins in state history. Wilson was elected into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame, the Northern Michigan Hall of Fame, and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame. Wilson passed away October 5, 2004