Wayne Shooks

Beginning in 1970, Wayne Shooks served DeWitt Public Schools as a science teacher and coach. He personified a model of excellence in the classroom as well as in athletics for thousands of student-athletes. Coaching football, tennis, track, and wrestling allowed Shooks the ability to inspire student-athletes to meet high academic and athletic standards. He turned down opportunities to coach at the varsity level in favor of quietly grooming underclassmen to achieve championships and personal accomplishments as juniors and seniors. In one 16-year stretch as the freshmen football coach, his teams won 135 out of 138 games. During that exceptional period, his teams recorded a streak of eight consecutive undefeated seasons and 14 undefeated seasons in all. He always stressed learning the fundamentals and having fun, but more importantly, he instilled the work ethic and dedication it takes to achieve at the varsity level. Even with his astounding success on the gridiron, he never talked about records with his players, but every team that stepped on the field in August knew what was at stake. In 2002, he was honored by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association as Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to his success in athletics, he was the ultimate role model for student-athletes, earning his PhD in Zoology at Michigan State University. Dr. Wayne Shooks retired from DeWitt High School in 2004 after 34 years of service.