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As was the case with prominent athletes during the 2025-26 prep sports season throughout Michigan, there were many coaches who were instrumental to the success of their teams, whether they were longtime coaches experiencing something for the first time or newer coaches leading teams to new heights.
Here are the five most noteworthy high school girls coaches from the 2025-26 prep sports seasons.
Williams has been at the helm of Catholic Central’s program since its inception in 1974, an incredible run of dedication and longevity. But this spring, Williams got to experience something for the first time.
Catholic Central had never had a top-two finish at a state tournament, but Williams and the team got to haul back a state runner-up trophy after placing second at the Division 4 state tournament in Midland.
Catholic Central finished second to an Ann Arbor Greenhills team that won its fifth straight state championship and should be good again next year with its top three singles players returning.
“I’ve been coaching 52 years with this team and this is the best we’ve ever done,” an obviously thrilled Williams said after it was over.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan high school boys coaches from 2025-26
In the Michigan High School Athletic Association record books, coaches in any sport have to reach 300 career wins to get their names etched in those list of records. Before this season, no lacrosse coach, boys or girls, was listed in the record book because none had reached 300 wins.
That changed in May when Radcliffe, who has coached for more than 20 years at South Lyon and Hartland, won her 300th game in a tournament at Saline.
In addition, Radcliffe helped guide South Lyon United to another record, a Division 1 state-best 48-game winning streak that spanned the last two seasons.
The defending state champions going into the season, South Lyon ultimately saw its winning streak end in a 16-9 defeat to Rockford in the Division 1 state championship game.
Despite the loss, Radcliffe will be the inaugural coach in the MHSAA lacrosse record books.
In her 14th season as head coach, Woodard spent a lot of years building up the program and helping the team become an annual winner.
But Northern couldn’t get past a state quarterfinal hump. Northern finally did this year and once at the state’s final four, took advantage of the opportunity by claiming the school’s first state championship in any sport with a 2-1 win over Grand Haven in the Division 1 state final.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan girls high school teams from 2025-26
Northern also earned a 2-1 win in the semifinals over a Northville team that was playing as well as anyone in the state going into the game.
Northern had four players named first-team all-state in Division 1, including senior ace pitcher Lyla Turmell, who will play in college at Toledo.
Following in the mold of a legendary figure in the cheerleading community, former Rochester coach Susan Wood, Williams has turned Stoney Creek into an annual power.
But this year seemed more challenging.
After winning the previous two state championships in Division 1, Stoney Creek lost out to rivals Rochester and Rochester Adams at just about every important meet — until the biggest one of all.
Stoney Creek rose up at the state meet, saving its best performance for last and winning its third straight state championship ahead of Rochester and Adams in an event that annually has become the Rochester Invitational with how the three schools in the community have dominated in recent years.
It was the fifth title overall for Stoney Creek in Williams’ tenure.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan girls high school athletes from 2025-26
In the first year of field hockey being a sanctioned sport by the MHSAA, it couldn’t have been easy for Pioneer being such a heavy favorite, having won 30 state titles when the sport wasn’t sanctioned.
But Nixon helped Pioneer manage the pressure beautifully, capped off with a 2-0 win over Dexter in the state championship game to help Pioneer fittingly become the first ever MHSAA sanctioned field hockey champion.
Pioneer lost six games on the season, but five of them were to powerhouse teams outside of the state as Nixon aimed to play tough competition during the regular season in order to better prepare for the state tournament.
The formula worked as Pioneer didn’t allow a goal in five tournament games.
Keith Dunlap is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: A look back at the top 5 Michigan high school girls coaches from 2025-26
Continue reading...
Here are the five most noteworthy high school girls coaches from the 2025-26 prep sports seasons.
Pat Williams, Grand Rapids Catholic Central tennis
Williams has been at the helm of Catholic Central’s program since its inception in 1974, an incredible run of dedication and longevity. But this spring, Williams got to experience something for the first time.
Catholic Central had never had a top-two finish at a state tournament, but Williams and the team got to haul back a state runner-up trophy after placing second at the Division 4 state tournament in Midland.
Catholic Central finished second to an Ann Arbor Greenhills team that won its fifth straight state championship and should be good again next year with its top three singles players returning.
“I’ve been coaching 52 years with this team and this is the best we’ve ever done,” an obviously thrilled Williams said after it was over.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan high school boys coaches from 2025-26
Deanna Radcliffe, South Lyon United lacrosse
In the Michigan High School Athletic Association record books, coaches in any sport have to reach 300 career wins to get their names etched in those list of records. Before this season, no lacrosse coach, boys or girls, was listed in the record book because none had reached 300 wins.
That changed in May when Radcliffe, who has coached for more than 20 years at South Lyon and Hartland, won her 300th game in a tournament at Saline.
In addition, Radcliffe helped guide South Lyon United to another record, a Division 1 state-best 48-game winning streak that spanned the last two seasons.
The defending state champions going into the season, South Lyon ultimately saw its winning streak end in a 16-9 defeat to Rockford in the Division 1 state championship game.
Despite the loss, Radcliffe will be the inaugural coach in the MHSAA lacrosse record books.
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Kristen Woodard, Walled Lake Northern softball
In her 14th season as head coach, Woodard spent a lot of years building up the program and helping the team become an annual winner.
But Northern couldn’t get past a state quarterfinal hump. Northern finally did this year and once at the state’s final four, took advantage of the opportunity by claiming the school’s first state championship in any sport with a 2-1 win over Grand Haven in the Division 1 state final.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan girls high school teams from 2025-26
Northern also earned a 2-1 win in the semifinals over a Northville team that was playing as well as anyone in the state going into the game.
Northern had four players named first-team all-state in Division 1, including senior ace pitcher Lyla Turmell, who will play in college at Toledo.
Tricia Williams, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competitive cheerleading
Following in the mold of a legendary figure in the cheerleading community, former Rochester coach Susan Wood, Williams has turned Stoney Creek into an annual power.
But this year seemed more challenging.
After winning the previous two state championships in Division 1, Stoney Creek lost out to rivals Rochester and Rochester Adams at just about every important meet — until the biggest one of all.
Stoney Creek rose up at the state meet, saving its best performance for last and winning its third straight state championship ahead of Rochester and Adams in an event that annually has become the Rochester Invitational with how the three schools in the community have dominated in recent years.
It was the fifth title overall for Stoney Creek in Williams’ tenure.
More: A look back at the top 5 Michigan girls high school athletes from 2025-26
Jane Nixon, Ann Arbor Pioneer field hockey
In the first year of field hockey being a sanctioned sport by the MHSAA, it couldn’t have been easy for Pioneer being such a heavy favorite, having won 30 state titles when the sport wasn’t sanctioned.
But Nixon helped Pioneer manage the pressure beautifully, capped off with a 2-0 win over Dexter in the state championship game to help Pioneer fittingly become the first ever MHSAA sanctioned field hockey champion.
Pioneer lost six games on the season, but five of them were to powerhouse teams outside of the state as Nixon aimed to play tough competition during the regular season in order to better prepare for the state tournament.
The formula worked as Pioneer didn’t allow a goal in five tournament games.
Keith Dunlap is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: A look back at the top 5 Michigan high school girls coaches from 2025-26
Continue reading...
