TRAVERSE CITY — Several high schools in the Record-Eagle coverage area made some transformative coaching hires in 2023 that could set a path for many schools to follow.
Bear Lake’s Samantha Mullet became Michigan’s first female high school varsity football head coach and one of the youngest high school coaches in the state’s history at just 28 years old. Mullet was a former Bear Lake assistant coach for several years under longtime head coach John Prokes before being offered the job.
“Technically, yes, I know the historical significance this has, but I don’t know yet what kind of impact it will have,” Mullet said. “I haven’t even thought of my age, which is the craziness of this all, but I am pretty blessed.”
Mullet’s long journey started a decade ago after graduating from Bear Lake High School in 2013 as the valedictorian of her class. Mullet graduated from Concordia University with an English degree and returned to Bear Lake in 2017 when Prokes reached out to her for help running Bear Lake’s new football program.
Mullet’s first season as head coach guided the Bear Lake 8-man football program to a 1-8 record overall and 1-4 in the West Michigan D League. Mullet and the Lakers picked up their historic first victory with a 26-0 shutout victory against Bear Lake on Oct. 6.
While the season didn’t go according to plan, her accomplishment caught the eyes of many people in Michigan, including the Detroit Lions. Mullet was honored by the Lions early in the season, and the Lions donated $5,000 to the Lakers program.
Glen Lake also made a groundbreaking hire by naming Jesse Smith their varsity football coach in March. Smith became the first African-American football coach hired at Glen Lake.
“Glen Lake has a tradition of being a good program,” Smith said when he was hired. “I’m looking forward to bringing back the black and yellow tradition of winning games and building up young men. I’m excited and ready to go and looking forward to adding to the tradition.”
Glen Lake Athletic Director Jaime Smith said Jesse Smith’s experience coaching at multiple age levels — including the Northern Michigan Wolves — was a plus, saying he has the opportunity to become a “transformational” coach.
“If you can guide grown men and give them direction, high school boys will be easy,” Jaime Smith said.
Smith, 40, previously coached at Traverse City West, leading the freshman team and assisting on junior varsity and varsity. He also coached the Northern Michigan Wolves to the 2021 Greater Midwest Football Conference championship.
The Lakers finished the 2023 campaign with an early district exit to Iron Mountain. Glen Lake ended the season 5-5 overall and and 3-2 in Northern Michigan Football Conference’s Legacy Division.
With hockey in northern Michigan being a staple in many people’s lives, Taylor Lundberg becoming the first head coach of the first varsity girls high school hockey team in northern Michigan — the Traverse City Bay Reps — was a longtime coming.
The Bay Reps — much like their boys counterpart — are a co-op with players from seven area schools with a varsity roster that includes 16 student-athletes from Traverse City Central, Traverse City West, Traverse City St. Francis, Cadillac and Elk Rapids. The two other schools involved in the program are Kalkaska and Mancelona.
“This is a great opportunity for these girls, and they’re so proud and so excited to wear that Reps logo on their jersey and represent their high school,” Lundberg said.
Lundberg grew up in Traverse City and attended Traverse City St. Francis before moving to East Lansing her sophomore year to play for the Lansing Spartans, a AAA team, during high school. After a short stint in East Lansing, she returned to St. Francis for her senior year and went on to play hockey at Colby College in Maine.
After a short time in Maine, she transferred to the University of Michigan where she continued to play and graduated.
Lundberg said when the opportunity presented itself to become a girls hockey coach, she wasn’t interested in having a big role in the team but thought she would be an assistant coach or a mentor. After further conversations, it flourished into her becoming the head coach.
“It was very unexpected and out of nowhere,” Lundberg said.
The Reps have 11 home games in 2024 with their final home game coming Feb. 10 at Centre Ice against Bloomfield.
They will also take part in the 10th Annual TC Challenge as part of the Girls Showcase at Centre Ice on Jan. 19-21.
With 2023 coming to a close, 2024 could be a time for more groundbreaking hires.