2005 All Star West Coach
Assistant Coach David Lawrence
Mattawan High School
Coach Lawrence is a 1972 graduate of Flint Powers High School where he won seven letters in football and track. He helped his varsity football team to a 24-2-1 record over a three year period. He set the school record in the shot put as a senior. Dave was a four year track man and football walk-on at Western Michigan University helping the Broncos win the 1976 Mid-American Conference Track Championship during his senior year. An avid weightlifter, Dave was the 1975 Junior State of Michigan Powerlifting Champion in the 181 lb. class.
Coach Lawrence began his coaching career at Ypsilanti High School in 1979 and served stints at Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Brighton and Eastern Michigan University before being named the head coach at Mattawan High School in 1991. Coach Lawrence turned around a program that had not won a league championship in 37 years capturing Kalamazoo Valley Association titles in 1997 and 1998 and earning playoff appearances in 1998 and 1999. Mattawan won its first playoff game in school history in 1999. Coach Lawrence’s teams were rated in the state’s top ten in Class BB from 1997-99. The Mattawan program under his direction has produced two All-Americans and six First Team All-State players along with five players who have been selected to play in the MHSFCA All-Star football game.
Coach Lawrence is a Regional Director of the MHSFCA and Director of the Annual MHSFCA Leadership Conference. He was selected as a 2004 National Finalist for the “Power of Influence Award” given by the American Football Coaches Association for outstanding contributions within the coaching profession.
Dave credits his success to his Christian faith and the constant support of his wife, Janet, of 21 years, sons David (captain of the 2004 West All-Star Team), Peter, Paul and daughters, Ann, Cecilia, Mary and Catherine. He said, “it’s a great honor for me to coach in the 2005 All-Star football game. I appreciate the opportunity to work with some of the finest coaches and players in the state of Michigan”.