2000 Crowley Award Winner
Jack Schugars
Muskegon Oakridge
Have fun, work hard, be dedicated. These were the words and ideals stressed by coach Jim Crowley during his seventeen years at Jackson St. John and Jackson Lumen Christi High Schools, which included four unbeaten seasons and two Class B State Championships. Coach Crowley, a dedicated Christian and family man, was tragically killed at the height of his career in 1980 at the age of forty-five. It is in his memory that we present this award today. This year’s recipient was raised in Muskegon, Michigan and graduated from Muskegon High School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in 1968 and an M.A. in school administration from Michigan State University in 1989.
For the past thirty-one years Jack has been teaching at Oakridge Public Schools in Muskegon where he has received two Excellence in Education Awards and has been named as a Teacher of the Year. His coaching career began in 1969 with the Oakridge Youth Football League; from 1970-1978 he worked his way through the Oakridge Public School program as a middle school, junior varsity, and assistant varsity coach. In 1979 Jack became the head football coach at Oakridge High School and in the intervening twenty-one years has compiled a 154-55 won-lost record. His teams have been West Michigan Conference Champions ten times and qualified for the state playoffs ten times. The Eagles were Class “CC” runners-up to Detroit St. Martin DePorres in 1990 and returned to The Dome in 1997 and won a Class “CC” State Championship. Coach Schugars was voted West Michigan Conference Coach of the Year in 1978, Area Coach of the Year five times, MHSFCA Regional Coach of the Year nine times and MHSFCA State Class “CC” Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1997. In 1993 he was inducted into the MHSFCA Hall of Fame.
Jack’s dedication to our association is outstanding; he has been on the Board of Directors since 1981 and served as our President in 1998. He is very active with our All Star football game, giving of his time and energy in procuring and coordinating player equipment for the game. In addition, he had the thrill of coaching for the West in the 1993 All Star game.
Jack has been very active in Promise Keepers, serves as a faculty advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at his high school and participates in the Men’s Ministry at his church. He and his wife Julie are the proud parents of two children, Amanda and Eric.
Much like Coach Crowley, our 2000 recipient is a leader of young men, a tremendous example for those he has coached as well as to us in the profession, a dedicated teacher, husband, father, and a man of great faith.