Kathy McGee coached Flint Powers girls basketball to a 599-153 record over 31 seasons. “The girls taught me how to overcome,” McGee said.
Kathy McGee taught plenty about basketball to her many high school and college teams.
But it’s what the legendary Flint Powers Catholic High girls coach learned from her players that she considers her most cherished memories.
Like the “terrible misfortune in 1996,” McGee, 65, said Thursday.
“Liz Hallman was found dead in her sleep,” said McGee, who coached at Powers in 1976-2006 before accepting an assistant coaching position in 2007 on the women’s basketball team at Central Michigan. “She had a defect in the heart valve. Liz was an inspirational leader.”
Hallman was one of the Chargers’ most gifted athletes and a beloved student at the school.
After suffering a devastating knee injury in her junior season and working tirelessly on her rehabilitation, Hallman died in her sleep July 25, 1996, a few weeks before basketball practice began.
“She was a senior with great college potential,” remembered McGee, who coached at CMU for five years. “Her sheer determination and dedication to recover from ACL surgery taught me so much about life’s challenges.”
Hallman’s death devastated her teammates at Powers. The team started 3-3.
“We sat down, talked about Liz and how she’d react,” said McGee, whose players “made it a promise to work through the slump.”
Powers did, winning 20 in a row and capturing the state championship.
“The girls taught me how to overcome,” said McGee, who lives in the Flint area. “Liz had great desire. I am still in contact with her family. I saw them just recently.”
McGee’s family is “one of thousands” – the players, family and basketball friends she has made in the state and across the country.
Tonight at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Woodward, she will be honored for her service to high school and college basketball by being inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, along with sporting heroes like former Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace and John Long and past Red Wings Brendan Shanahan and Chris Osgood. In addition, Class of 2015 inductees, New York Yankees great Derek Jeter and former Wing Mike Modano, will be honored after missing the ceremony in Detroit last year.
“I’m truly humbled to be going into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame with legends of the past,” said McGee, who led Powers to a 599-153 record over 31 seasons. “It’s just unbelievable for a girl who played basketball at high school in Michigan’s Thumb area.”
McGee coached “about a dozen” players to D-I colleges, among them Lisa Negri, who was voted Miss Basketball in 1991 and played at Ohio State, and Victoria Lucas-Perry, who graduated from Powers in 2002 and played at Michigan State.
“I’m proud of all my girls who played for me and went on to play at college,” said McGee. “But I’m just as proud of all the others who went on to be dentists, lawyers, industry leaders and great moms. That’s what you hope for.”
McGee, whose teams won 20 district titles, four state championships and 18 league titles, has been teaching some after-school programs since her retirement from basketball.
“Working with at-risk kids,” said McGee. “I also still go to basketball games.”
McGee went to high school at Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port High, from where she graduated in 1969 and then attended CMU.
“I tried making the basketball team at Central,” said McGee. “They didn’t offer scholarships. I did make the debating team though.”
McGee hasn’t any regrets.
“I loved my time as a high school coach and at college,” she said. “Look at all the friends I have.”
Pete Hovland.
■Hovland’s impact at OU: Pete Hovland’s “greatest influence in life,” Ernie Maglischo, will be there tonight.
So too Pat Rodda, his old high school swimming teammate, who flew into Detroit from California on Wednesday.
Hovland, the longtime Oakland University head swimming coach, will also have his mother and sister on hand when he is inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame this evening at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Woodward Avenue.
“How about that?” said Hovland, 62, who joined the OU Golden Grizzlies swimming department in 1980 as an assistant men’s and head women’s coach and has been head of the wildly successful program since 2001. “I very excited and very humbled.”
Hovland will be inducted into the class of 2016 along with the likes of former Detroit Pistons Ben Wallace and John Long and Red Wings Brendan Shanahan and Chris Osgood.
“These guys are icons,” said Hovland, who was raised in Northern California and swam for Chico State, where Maglischo coached before joining OU in 1979 for two short but spectacular years. “I’m a huge Red Wings fan. I can’t wait to meet Ben and Chris.”
Hovland is thrilled that Maglischo will be at the Hall of Fame night.
“Ernie recruited me to Oakland University,” said Hovland on Thursday. “He’s coming to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony from Arizona, where he formally coached at Arizona State. Ernie is still my mentor and dear friend.”
In fact, Maglischo will put on a stroke clinic at OU while he’s in town, said Hovland.
“He brought me to Michigan,” said Hovland. “He’s meant so much in my life.”
Hovland’s OU teams have won dozens of conference titles and four national championships.
The work ethic of his swim teams have surprised even him.
“These athletes put in a tremendous amount of time in the pool, on the track running and in the weight room,” said Hovland. “Swimming is a lifestyle, a passion. Kids just don’t do it for kicks. I’m amazed by my swimmers and the work they put in.”
Hovland said he watched the Rio Olympics swimming last month closely.
He saw Michael Phelps go out in glory, and Ryan Lochte leave the Games amid controversy.
“Michael was as good as ever and as good as there will ever be,” said Hovland of Phelps, 31, who left Rio as the most decorated Olympian of all-time with a total of 28 medals. “His departure was picture perfect.”
Lochte, 32, was Wednesday banned from swimming through June 2017 after his role in the Rio gas station incident and for allegedly lying to local police and making a false statement.
“Ryan’s swan song, if it was, was a totally different one,” said Hovland. “He’s a real animal in the pool and loves his swimming. I know he must be disappointed with himself.
“Maybe he’ll use the ban and lesson he’s learned to grow as a man and come back bigger and better. I believe he’ll train for the Tokyo Olympics (in 2020) and clear his name.”
Pete Hovland.
Red Wings honoree Chris Osgood excited to meet Wallace, Jeter at HOF
Class of 2016 (plus two)
Tom Gage
Sports writer spent 39 years with the Detroit News, mainly
covering the Tigers; also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pete Hovland
37-year Oakland University men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach, 23-time conference coach of the year.
Derek Jeter (2015 inductee)
Kalamazoo Central shortstop became a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees. Had 3,465 career hits.
John Long
Pistons guard scored more than 12,000 points in the NBA. Romulus native also starred at the University of Detroit.
Bob Mann
First African-American player on the Lions, the U-M grad played two seasons here and led the NFL in receiving in 1949.
Kathy McGee
Flint Powers Catholic girls basketball coach for 31 years, won four state championships and had 599 career wins.
Mike Modano (2015 inductee)
Livonia native was the NHL’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 1988. Won one Stanley Cup and scored most points by a U.S.-born player.
Chris Osgood
Goaltender won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. Fourth all-time in NHL winning percentage.
Brendan Shanahan
Forward won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. He’s the only player with more than 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.
Ben Wallace
Four-time NBA defensive player of the year won NBA title with Pistons in 2004. He’s the team’s all-time leader in blocked shots.