Sam Bishop

Sam Bishop

Western State Teachers College (now Western Michigan University) Football, Basketball Player
Detroit Northwestern High School Baseball, Football Basketball Coach, Athletic Director (1924 – 1968)

Sam Bishop (born Sam Goldstein) was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan and attended both Benton Harbor High School and Lane Tech High School in Chicago, Illinois where he played both football and basketball. He continued to star in both sports at Western State Teachers College now known as Western Michigan University. Bishop was hired at Detroit Northwestern High School and would spend the next forty-four years as coach and Athletic Director. During this span he coached the football team to six city titles and two state titles, in addition to coaching the baseball and track teams to championship seasons. He positively impacted dozens if not hundreds of athletes during his forty-four years coaching. He was voted National Educator of the Year in 1970 by American Association of School Administrators. Sam Bishop was inducted into the Western Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974, the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. He passed away on February 19, 1977 at 80 years of age.