BLOOMFIELD HILLS — Nick LaFontaine was applying for the math teaching vacancy at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook, but when school administrators noticed the extensive football coaching experience he had listed on his resumé, they ran it by athletic director Steve Graf.
Graf liked what he saw — not just because he had to finish the 2020 season as interim head coach following the sudden tragic death of Ben Jones in an automobile accident — but primarily because LaFontaine appeared to be an excellent fit in both roles.
That’s why LaFontaine was out on the turfed Thompson Oval on Monday, whistle around his neck, playbook in hand, as the Cranes and more than 600 other high school football teams across the state began fall sports practices. LaFontaine is one of three new head coaches in the Catholic High School League.
He is out to restore some stability to the Cranes program, which was hard-hit last year by Jones’ death, but also a COVID-19 flare-up that caused the team to miss several games. When it was all said and done, Cranbrook (0-5) suffered through its first winless season in 50 years.
“Just the opportunity here is incredible,” LaFontaine said Monday. “I was a math teacher and a coach, and that’s what I’m doing. I’ll teach math here, and that’s a good thing — they haven’t had that for a few years, a coach who’s on campus every day.”
LaFontaine most recently coached at Trinity-Pawling School in New York, which had its entire 2020 season shelved by the pandemic. While he had never been to Cranbrook before, he noticed it had a similar type of atmosphere.
“I put my name in with a search firm that specialized in prep schools, and said Michigan could be a good fit, because my wife is from here,” LaFontaine said. “I had an initial conversation with the head of the math department, and that went well, but then Steve reached out and asked if I would have any interest in being the football coach. I just looked at my wife and said, ‘This could be for real.’ It just seemed like all the things were coming together.
“We’re excited because it’s such an unbelievable place.”
LaFontaine’s first impression of his new team was a positive one. Holding Zoom meetings with the players even before he arrived from New York, he immediately noticed that the players all had their cameras on, and were excited yet respectful when asking what was in store for the upcoming season. LaFontaine also talked up the support shown by parents and administrators alike.
Although LaFontaine’s wife was still back out east and his two children were staying with in-laws in Marshall, Mich., there was work to be done on the sprawling Bloomfield Hills campus Monday. LaFontaine said he was “energized” by seeing his players go through their initial two workouts (one in the morning and another in the evening), which consisted of conditioning drills and running through offensive plays.
And LaFontaine wasn’t put off by the Cranes’ run of tough luck during 2020. In fact, he tends to draw upon the legacy of Jones (whom he never met) as a motivator for the kids, instead of a black cloud.
Bill Miller, Riverview Gabriel Richard
It might sound like Riverview Gabriel Richard’s new head coach, Bill Miller, often refers to himself as a plural entity. But he has a reason for it.
“I wanted to bring all my coaches over from Trenton,” he said. “Seven of us came over, then we met the players and got started right away. We got the job in early June, and (the students) were done June 14, so we had to get our summer plans together right away.”
And now that Miller and his staff have had a chance to settle in, what are their first impressions?
“The people here have been great,” he said. “Since we’ve been there, it’s been, ‘How can we help you?’ We’re excited about it. We can’t say enough good things so far about the whole operation — administrators, teachers, kids, adults. We’re happy.”
While it wasn’t easy for Miller and crew to leave Trenton, they are optimistic about taking over the Pioneers, who finished first in the Intersectional-1 Division and reached the Prep Bowl the past three years under former head coach Tom Michalsen (who took the top job at Garden City).
“While there were some graduations, there are some talented kids here,” Miller said. “Going back and watching the films, it looked like we have about five returning on both sides (of the ball), but I’d rather start there and work my way up.”
Miller and crew are excited that many of the skill-position kids are in that group, while the staff will have to rebuild a bit on the offensive and defensive lines. Miller said around 36 kids have turned out — a bit fewer than he’d like to see — but at least “they’re showing up to everything and working hard.”
“There are 240 kids at the school,” he said. “We’ve got kids playing football, but they’re also playing hockey and baseball. They’re doing a lot of things. I’ll be happy to take kids who say that football’s their second-favorite or even third-favorite sport, bring them out, coach them up and let them have some fun with it.”
What does Miller and his staff see as a reasonable goal in their first season as Pioneers?
“We want to elevate the program,” he said. “It looks like they’ve kind of been in that pattern of 6-2, 7-2, 8-2. We’d like to go beyond that in the playoffs and increase the numbers. I look at it as the whole picture; not just on the field. We want to create some excitement there to where more kids want to come out.”
Jon Robinson, Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard
Because he wasn’t hired by Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard until mid-July, Jon Robinson hasn’t had much time to prepare for the new season.
“I don’t know the date that I officially started, but I came ready to get right to work,” he said. “The timing wasn’t necessarily, ideal, but I’ll make the best of it and move forward. You can’t get mad about it. I’ll put my head down and get to work.”
It’s not like Robinson needs a big learning curve — he was the special teams and linebackers coach at University of Valparaiso in northwest Indiana.
“I was just kind of poking around and seeing if there was any opportunity to come back home, because I’m originally from this area; I was born in Detroit, grew up in Livonia, actually played for (Divine Child coach) John Filiatraut,” he said. “This is coming back home for me.”
Even though Robinson becomes the fourth Fighting Irish coach in four years, he was attracted to the job.
“Father Gabriel Richard has had some turnover, and I was looking for a home, getting out of the college ranks, and this was good fit,” he said.
Robinson will also teach physical education at the Ann Arbor campus.
“I’m excited because that was my background; my undergrad major at Wayne State was P.E., so I’m doing what I went to school for and I’m going to be working with the whole student body,” he said. “It’s going to be a new challenge, a new chapter.”
Are the Fighting Irish players awed by the fact that their new mentor is joining them from the college ranks?
“I think there’s probably a little bit of that, but I don’t acknowledge that — I just treat them like I want them to be the very best, and I’m going to coach them like they’re the very best,” Robinson said. “I might get a little bit more respect because of my resumé, but now I think we’re past that and they know what I’m about and where I want to go as a program. The guys have really just opened their arms and embraced me, so I couldn’t be more blessed, honestly.”
Although this is Robinson’s first head coaching job and he admits he has “butterflies in his stomach,” he takes comfort in the ambiance of his new school.
“One thing I can say is during the interview process, those guys at Father Gabriel Richard really promised me a family atmosphere,” he said. “The new president, Joe Jordano, just got there himself. I was his second official hire in 10 days. He’s already invited me over there for an Italian feast for me and my kids.
“They’re showing that they’re really committed to progress,” Robinson said. “I’m really excited to see what we can build. It’s kind of a little hidden gem. There’s a lot of opportunity.”
