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Printer-Friendly ModeFormer SVSU football coach inducted into Hall
Frank “Muddy” Waters recognized for excellence
November 16, 2009 —
Frank “Muddy” Waters, Saginaw Valley’s first football coach, was inducted in the ninth class of the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony took place at Horizon Conference Center on State St. in Saginaw Township on Nov. 8. Muddy’s son Frank “Murky” Waters accepted the award in honor of his father, who died in 1983.
Muddy Waters was hired at Saginaw Valley State University in 1974. At that time the University was just a college with dorm rooms for 500 students.
Waters was late for his first interview at SVSU. He walked in and apologized for being late and told the board that when he stopped and asked for directions he was sent to Delta College. One of the board members stood up and said, “That is the problem: Nobody knows where we are.”
The idea for hiring Waters was so the University would get some publicity about the school and people would know where it was.
The college was looking for an identity and Waters had an identity through sports, particularly football, as he was known throughout the state, as well as nationally.
When Waters took over as football coach from Charlie Bockman at Hillsdale College, the team lost its first game and then won the next thirty-four.
At Hillsdale, Waters won games because teams would come in and be intimidated by Hillsdale.
“By the time they figured out they could play with Hillsdale, it was too late. Muddy would win,” said Frank Waters.
Waters’ first challenge at SVSU was overcoming the lack of sports tradition. He had been at Hillsdale College for 21 years, one year as an assistant and twenty as the head coach. Because of Waters’ reputation as a coach, other colleges were trying to stay one step ahead of him.
Through a community effort led by Muddy Waters, Ellis Ivy, who ran Saginaw Steering Gear, and the United Auto Workers Union, Nautilus equipment was purchased for the team.
“Muddy was always innovative with different things. If there was a way to help the team he would find a way to make it happen,” Waters said.
When Saginaw Valley played its first football game, the field and bleachers were just completed.
There was no press box and the reporters and media had to sit on the top row of the bleachers and take care of their paper work.
Waters’ Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame plaque will hang in SVSU’s Ryder Center where the rest of the hall of fame plaques hang honoring the sports legacy of Saginaw County.