In Memoriam: Tony Coggins (1971-2023)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 24, 2023
The MHSAA and Holly school communities are grieving this week after the sudden loss of Tony Coggins, a shining light in his educational community and an enthusiastic supporter of school sports as a public address announcer for several of our largest championship events.
But while that cheerful tone has been quieted, it surely will not be forgotten by the many fortunate to enjoy an event in the presence of that voice and the joyfulness he brought into every arena, press box and classroom.
Coggins, 51, died Saturday. He is survived by his wife Kristy and children Emma and Bradlee, among several family and friends from his local and greater sports communities.
His career as a PA announcer began during his freshman year of high school in 1985, when his father Dale Coggins – Flushing’s athletic director at the time – couldn’t find anyone else to announce middle school football games. That was 39 years ago, and this fall Tony Coggins was in his 24th announcing at Holly, where he taught and served as an administrator in addition to his role as “Voice of the Holly Bronchos” for football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, competitive cheer and swimming & diving over the years.
Coggins has been a mainstay among MHSAA Finals PA announcers over the last decade in football, basketball, softball and most recently volleyball. He lent his voice to college sports at University of Michigan as well. “Tony was a huge part of our Finals events. It’s hard to imagine it being the same without him,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said.
As part of the run-up to the MHSAA public address announcers clinic in 2018, Coggins said this about what drew him to the microphone:
“I have zero athletic ability whatsoever, which is interesting because my father was an all-state running back. But I enjoy being involved, and I've always been the one for history and statistics and knowing what's going on,” Coggins said. “This is a way for me to be involved. It's a way for me to use a talent I've been given; public speaking has always come pretty naturally for me.
“So I worked at my craft to get better. I got better from watching the people around me, from studying the people I like, and the people – if I saw someone I didn’t care for – I'd make a note and say to myself, ‘Don't do that.’ I take feedback from people very personally, and I mean that in a good way. If somebody takes the time to come up and say, ‘You did this well; I think you should change this,’ that means they care about the program also. We all have the same goal in mind, and that's to make the experience good for the high school student and the parents, the fans, that come there.”
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at St. John Vianney, 2415 Bagley Street in Flint. There will be visitation from 2-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, and at the church from 10 a.m. Saturday until the time of the Mass.
The Holly volleyball team played for something bigger tonight
Beloved PA announcer Anthony Coggins died on Friday night from a heart attack
Tonight v. Carman-Ainsworth, the Broncho community wore his favorite colors: maize & blue🟡🔵@HollyHighSchool|@BronchosAD
⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lPCRjjdmyL— Brandon Green🍀 (@BGreenReports) October 24, 2023
Flashback 100: Multi-Sport Star Look Becomes Super Bowl Officiating Legend
February 6, 2025
In 1960, Dean Look was drafted by both the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball and the Denver Broncos of the American Football League. For those familiar with Look’s athletic career at Lansing Everett and Michigan State University, his professional prospects in multiple sports came as no surprise.
A standout in football, baseball, and track, Look instead would make his most memorable pro sports mark as one of the NFL’s top officials.
At Everett during the mid-1950s, Look played a key role in leading his school to two state track & field championships (1954 and 1956) under legendary coach Archie Ross. Look also captured three individual state titles – two as part of 880-meter relay teams (1954 and 1956) and one in the pole vault (1956). In addition to his track achievements, Look was a star performer for Everett’s football and baseball teams.
After high school, Look continued his multi-sport career at Michigan State, excelling in both football and baseball. He finished sixth in the 1959 Heisman Trophy voting and was a key contributor to MSU’s shared football national championship in 1957.
Following college, Look signed with the White Sox, turning down an opportunity with the Broncos. After a brief stint in professional baseball, he returned to football, playing for the AFL’s New York Titans in 1962.
However, it was as an NFL official that Look truly left his legacy. Over a 29-year officiating career (1972–2001), he was assigned to three Super Bowls – Super Bowl XIII (1979), Super Bowl XV (1981) and Super Bowl XXVII (1993). One of his most iconic moments came during the 1981 NFC Championship Game, where he signaled "touchdown" after Joe Montana's legendary pass to Dwight Clark – forever known as “The Catch.”
Listen to Look discuss that historic play here: Watch on YouTube.
Athletic talent ran in the family, as Dean’s brother Bruce Look also played professional baseball, spending time with the Minnesota Twins.
Michigan has produced several notable Super Bowl officials, including brothers Carl, Dino, and Perry Paganelli from Wyoming Rogers High School. Carl officiated in Super Bowls XXXIX, XLI, XLVI, and XLVIII. In Super Bowl XLI, he and Perry made history as the first brothers to work on the same Super Bowl officiating crew. Perry also officiated Super Bowl LII, while Dino has been part of three Super Bowls – XLVII, LV, and LVII. Remarkably, at least one Paganelli has officiated in eight of the 59 Super Bowls.
This year’s Super Bowl referee is Ron Torbert, a fellow Michigan State graduate who has been an NFL official since 2010. Like Look and the Paganellis, Torbert also got his start officiating Michigan high school football.
For more information on becoming an MHSAA official, visit the MHSAA Officials page.
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Jan. 31: Johnson Family Put Magical Stamp on Michigan High School Hoops - Read
Jan. 24: Future Hall of Famers Face Off First in MHSAA Class A Final - Read
Jan. 17: First-Ever WNBA Draft Pick Rocked at Salem, Won Titles at Tennessee - Read
Jan. 10: Despite Launching Before 3-Point Line, Smith Still Tops Scoring List - Read
Jan. 3: Edison's Jackson Earns Place Among State's All-Time Elite - Read
Dec. 20: Future Olympian Piper Leads Grosse Pointe North to Historic Heights - Read
Dec. 13: The Other Mr. Forsythe in Michigan School Sports - Read
Dec. 6: Coleman's Legendary Heroics Carry Harrison Through Repeat - Read
Nov. 29: Harbaugh Brothers' Football Roots Planted in Part at Pioneer - Read
Nov. 22: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome - Read
Nov. 15: Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
(Photos courtesy of Referee Magazine.)