5 of the most underrated high school football coaches in Mich

Editor Note: Single-Wing Great Ken Hofer Recognized
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Tom Markowski's Top 5
Five of the most underrated high school football coaches in Michigan:

Tom Markowski / The Detroit News


Dave Duram, Hudsonville: Ralph Munger at Rockford and Tony Annese at Muskegon get most of the publicity on the state's west side, but Duram finally is starting to receive some, as well. Hudsonville, no matter what type of talent it has or the size of its players, is always prepared and, as we've seen recently, can play with any team in the state. Hudsonville lost 14-7 to Birmingham Brother Rice in the 2005 Division 2 state championship game.

Mike Powell, Warren Cousino: In 1995 and '96, Cousino didn't win a game. In '01 the Patriots went 9-2 and this has to be considered the breakthrough year. That season Powell got his players to believe they could win. They won a playoff game in '05 and last season they reached the state semifinals for the first time. In a program that at one time struggled to get 35 on varsity, there are now more than 150 football players at Cousino.

Ken Hofer, Menominee: I'm not sure those in the Lower Peninsula realize just how good Hofer is and what type of program he's running north of the bridge. If you saw the Division 5 state final last season you got a glimpse of Hofer and his single wing offense. Execution is one of the hallmarks of a top-notch program and few do it as well as the Maroons.

Rob Zimmerman, DeWitt: Zimmerman's name is not too familiar to Metro Detroit football fans, and that's too bad. Maybe when DeWitt gets to Ford Field this season and wins a state championship (don't bet against it), Zimmerman's name will be more recognizable.

Kurt Richardson, Clarkston: Clarkston hasn't been to a state final, and Lake Orion is usually ranked ahead of the Wolves. But it was Clarkston that upset Lake Orion in the playoffs last season, and this program has shown consistency throughout the years. Since 1989 Clarkston has had just two losing seasons (2-7 in '01, 4-5 in '02). And in those 19 seasons Clarkston has won at least six games 17 times.










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