A 74 Year-Old Coach Sets Retirement Aside to Make a Difference

Elliot Uzelac had coached college football for 40 years with stops at places like Michigan, Ohio State, Colorado and Maryland. During 2006-2010, he revived the football program at St. Joseph High School in Michigan by posting a record of 45-13 during his five years there. In the summer of 2011 he retired from coaching just before his 70th birthday. Four years later he had become restless and bored. At this point, according to The Detroit Free Press, his wife Wendy suggested that he go back into coaching. His response was, “I want to do something better than that.” His wife came back with: “Then go to Benton Harbor…You go there. You help them. We’ve loved these eight years here, and you know and I know that those kids need help on the field, off the field and in the classroom. Maybe you can do that.” Benton Harbor high school had gone through 25 straight losing seasons and had lost its last 19 games in a row. In spite of all this, Coach Uzelac accepted the challenge and asked for the job at a salary of $1.00 per year. During his first year, the team posted its first winning record since 1989 and won its first state playoff game ever. According to mlive.com, Coach Uzelac’s impact didn’t stop there. When the season was over he set up a tutoring program for players who needed it and he “…lined up field trips to meet with college coaches, to open the players’ eyes to the possibilities that are available to them.”