Legendary Coaches, World Champion Athletes Headline Inaugural Brother Rice High School Athletics Hall of Fame Class
Fracassa, Norton, Popson and Stark Join Ex-Pro’s Armstrong and Lodish
Bloomfield Hills, MI, July 22, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Brother Rice High School (www.brrice.edu) announced the inaugural class for its Athletic Hall of Fame. Recipients include four longtime coaches – Albert Fracassa, William Norton, Michael Popson and Robert Stark ’64 – and two former student-athletes, Benjamin (B.J.) Armstrong ’85 and Michael Lodish ’85.
Opened in 1960, Brother Rice has a history of athletic prowess. Fifty-two of its teams have won State Championships, and its coaches have been among the state’s most honored. Countless individuals also have won All-State and All-American honors since the school’s founding, many of whom have gone on to compete at the college level with several others – including Armstrong and Lodish – moving on to achieve distinguished careers in the professional ranks.
“The concept of an Athletic Hall of Fame at a place like Brother Rice does not come about without a great deal of debate and discussion,” President John Birney ’76 said. “In the end, we believe that the process was handled the right way, and that we have a class that properly honors our tradition of athletic excellence.”
Fracassa has won more football games than any other high school coach in Michigan. A head coach for 50 years, the last 40 at Brother Rice, he has led Brother Rice to seven State Championships and received numerous honors through the years, including the 1997 National High School Coach of the Year from the National Football League and 2009 Michiganian of the Year from the Detroit News. Fracassa, who enters his 41st season at Brother Rice, also taught history and physical education at Brother Rice from 1969-98 and coached baseball from 1970-82. He and his wife of 53 years, Phyllis, live in Warren and have four children (Richard, David, Kathleen and Susan) and seven grandchildren.
The school’s winningest basketball coach, Norton is one of the most well-respected names in Michigan high school basketball circles. His 1973-74 team won Brother Rice’s first State Championship. Norton counts 323 wins with Brother Rice among his 456 career victories. He also served the school in a variety of other roles, including Athletic Director (1968-81), Dean of Students, Director of Development, Science and Health teacher and Head Football Coach (1968). Norton, who currently teaches at Birmingham Groves, lives in Orchard Lake with his wife of 43 years, Vivian. The couple has two children: Jessica and Nathan, a 1992 graduate of Brother Rice.
Popson succeeded Norton as the school’s athletic director and held the position until his retirement in 2003. During his tenure, Popson presided over 35 of its 52 State Championships. In addition to 29 years as a biology teacher, Popson has served as Fracassa’s Offensive Line Coach and Track & Field Coach. In 2003, the Catholic High School League honored Popson as its Athletic Director of the Year. Two years after his retirement, the community was shocked by the news of his fatal car accident in 2005. Mike is survived by his wife Joyce and their five children, including four graduates of Brother Rice: Michael ’81, Mark ’82, Matthew ’84, Maria, and Martin ’90.
Stark is a member of the school’s first graduating class. After receiving his degree from the University of Notre Dame, he returned to Brother Rice in 1968 and has taught math and world history and coached Cross Country and Track & Field since. Stark, a resident of Birmingham, was named 2006 Catholic High School League Man of the Year and the 2008 distinguished honoree at the Oakland Country Track Meet.
The two former student-athletes honored in the inaugural class both are members of the Class of 1985, who went on to great success at the college and professional levels. Armstrong starred on the University of Iowa’s basketball team in the late 80s and then spent 11 years in the NBA, including winning three world championships (1991-93) as a member of the Chicago Bulls. He also was named an NBA All-Star in 1994. Armstrong still holds Brother Rice’s single-game scoring record (51 points) and is a member of the Catholic League Hall of Fame. Armstrong is currently Vice President of Basketball Management for Wasserman Media Group LLC and resides in Chicago.
Lodish was All-State in both football and lacrosse at Brother Rice before moving on to a decorated football career at UCLA. He later spent an 11 years in the NFL, including two with the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Lodish’s six Super Bowl appearances (four with the Buffalo Bills) is the most of any player in NFL history. Lodish currently works with TVS Communication Solutions in Troy and resides in Birmingham. He has a 5-year-old son, Max.
The inaugural class will be honored at an Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the Brother Rice gym. For more information, call (248) 647-2531 or go to the school’s web site www.brrice.edu.
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Opened in 1960, Brother Rice has a history of athletic prowess. Fifty-two of its teams have won State Championships, and its coaches have been among the state’s most honored. Countless individuals also have won All-State and All-American honors since the school’s founding, many of whom have gone on to compete at the college level with several others – including Armstrong and Lodish – moving on to achieve distinguished careers in the professional ranks.
“The concept of an Athletic Hall of Fame at a place like Brother Rice does not come about without a great deal of debate and discussion,” President John Birney ’76 said. “In the end, we believe that the process was handled the right way, and that we have a class that properly honors our tradition of athletic excellence.”
Fracassa has won more football games than any other high school coach in Michigan. A head coach for 50 years, the last 40 at Brother Rice, he has led Brother Rice to seven State Championships and received numerous honors through the years, including the 1997 National High School Coach of the Year from the National Football League and 2009 Michiganian of the Year from the Detroit News. Fracassa, who enters his 41st season at Brother Rice, also taught history and physical education at Brother Rice from 1969-98 and coached baseball from 1970-82. He and his wife of 53 years, Phyllis, live in Warren and have four children (Richard, David, Kathleen and Susan) and seven grandchildren.
The school’s winningest basketball coach, Norton is one of the most well-respected names in Michigan high school basketball circles. His 1973-74 team won Brother Rice’s first State Championship. Norton counts 323 wins with Brother Rice among his 456 career victories. He also served the school in a variety of other roles, including Athletic Director (1968-81), Dean of Students, Director of Development, Science and Health teacher and Head Football Coach (1968). Norton, who currently teaches at Birmingham Groves, lives in Orchard Lake with his wife of 43 years, Vivian. The couple has two children: Jessica and Nathan, a 1992 graduate of Brother Rice.
Popson succeeded Norton as the school’s athletic director and held the position until his retirement in 2003. During his tenure, Popson presided over 35 of its 52 State Championships. In addition to 29 years as a biology teacher, Popson has served as Fracassa’s Offensive Line Coach and Track & Field Coach. In 2003, the Catholic High School League honored Popson as its Athletic Director of the Year. Two years after his retirement, the community was shocked by the news of his fatal car accident in 2005. Mike is survived by his wife Joyce and their five children, including four graduates of Brother Rice: Michael ’81, Mark ’82, Matthew ’84, Maria, and Martin ’90.
Stark is a member of the school’s first graduating class. After receiving his degree from the University of Notre Dame, he returned to Brother Rice in 1968 and has taught math and world history and coached Cross Country and Track & Field since. Stark, a resident of Birmingham, was named 2006 Catholic High School League Man of the Year and the 2008 distinguished honoree at the Oakland Country Track Meet.
The two former student-athletes honored in the inaugural class both are members of the Class of 1985, who went on to great success at the college and professional levels. Armstrong starred on the University of Iowa’s basketball team in the late 80s and then spent 11 years in the NBA, including winning three world championships (1991-93) as a member of the Chicago Bulls. He also was named an NBA All-Star in 1994. Armstrong still holds Brother Rice’s single-game scoring record (51 points) and is a member of the Catholic League Hall of Fame. Armstrong is currently Vice President of Basketball Management for Wasserman Media Group LLC and resides in Chicago.
Lodish was All-State in both football and lacrosse at Brother Rice before moving on to a decorated football career at UCLA. He later spent an 11 years in the NFL, including two with the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Lodish’s six Super Bowl appearances (four with the Buffalo Bills) is the most of any player in NFL history. Lodish currently works with TVS Communication Solutions in Troy and resides in Birmingham. He has a 5-year-old son, Max.
The inaugural class will be honored at an Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the Brother Rice gym. For more information, call (248) 647-2531 or go to the school’s web site www.brrice.edu.
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Brother Rice High School
Mike Ingberg
248-855-6777
www.brrice.edu
Mike Ingberg
248-855-6777
www.brrice.edu
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