![Tony Coggins serves as PA announcer during a 2022 Division 3 volleyball match at Kellogg Arena.](/sites/default/files/2023-10/231024_Coggins_2H.png)
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
![Clarkston libero Kiley Gallagher awaits an approaching hit during her team's Regional Semifinal win over Hartland last week.](/sites/default/files/2023-11/231114_Volleyball_2H.png)
Quarterfinals Begin Championship Week for Volleyball's 32 Contenders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 14, 2023
The final week of the 2023 girls volleyball season begins this evening with 16 MHSAA Quarterfinals across the state.
Winners in Divisions 2 and 3 will advance to Semifinals on Thursday at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena, with winners in Divisions 1 and 4 playing Semifinals on Friday. All four championship matches will be played Saturday at Kellogg.
All 16 matches, with start times and locations, are listed below. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased on GoFan. All 16 matches will be broadcast as well on MHSAA.tv and viewable with subscription; those individual broadcasts are linked below. Brackets and more are posted to the Volleyball page.
DIVISION 1
Grand Haven vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern at Hudsonville, 6 p.m. – WATCH
Portage Northern vs. Northville at Ypsilanti Lincoln, 7 p.m. – WATCH
Macomb L’Anse Creuse North vs. Clarkston at St. Clair County Community College, 7:30 p.m. – WATCH
Farmington Hills Mercy vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian at Dearborn, 7 p.m. – WATCH
DIVISION 2
Milan vs. Dearborn Divine Child at Chelsea, 7 p.m. – WATCH
Ludington vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic at Fremont, 7 p.m. – WATCH
North Branch vs. Frankenmuth at St. Clair County Community College, 5:30 p.m. – WATCH
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Edwardsburg at Charlotte, 6 p.m. – WATCH
DIVISION 3
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central vs. Plymouth Christian Academy at Ypsilanti Lincoln, 5:30 p.m. – WATCH
Pewamo-Westphalia vs. Kalamazoo Christian at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 7 p.m. – WATCH
Cass City vs. Saginaw Valley Lutheran at New Lothrop, 6 p.m. – WATCH
Calumet vs. Traverse City St. Francis at Sault Ste. Marie, 6 p.m. – WATCH
DIVISION 4
St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian at Portage Central, 6:30 p.m. – WATCH
Clarkston Everest Collegiate vs. Marlette at Fenton, 7 p.m. – WATCH
Leland vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart at Ferris State University, 6 p.m. – WATCH
Crystal Falls Forest Park vs. Newberry at Manistique, 7 p.m. – WATCH
PHOTO Clarkston libero Kiley Gallagher awaits an approaching hit during her team's Regional Semifinal win over Hartland last week. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)