By George B. Eichorn
– Detroit Lions collapse: Coming off a franchise-high 15-2 season and a January playoffs loss to Washington last January the Lions go 9-8 and miss the playoffs.
– Michigan Wolverines Football: Head coach Sherrone Moore is fired by U-M for cause due to “credible evidence” he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. He finished 16-8 (11-6 Big Ten) and was suspended in the sign-stealing scandal. U-M losts in the New Year’s Eve Citrus Bowl game to Texas 41-27 to finish 9-4 and no. 18 in the polls. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham replaces Moore for the 2026 season.
– Detroit Tigers: put together a second straight wildcard series win after blowing a 12 game AL Central Division lead to Cleveland. The Guardians lost the wildcard series to Detroit. The Tigers then lost in the ALDS to Seattle in a deciding Game 5 thriller. Tarik Skubal wins a second straight Cy Young Award.
– Detroit Pistons: completed a remarkable turnaround in 2025, going from cellar-dwellers (14-68) to their first playoff appearance since 2019 (44-38). The Pistons battled the New York Knicks but lost the series, 4 games to 2.
– Detroit Red Wings miss making the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. They welcomed a new head coach near the end of 2024 as Todd McLellan led Detroit to a 39-25-8 in the Eastern Conference. The franchise celebrates its centennial season in 2025-26 and hovered at the top of the stadings as 2026 approached.
– Western Michigan University Broncos won their first NCAA Ice Hockey championship defeating Boston University 6-2 in the title game in St. Louis. Broncos forward Owen Michaels is named Frozen Four MVP and Pat Ferschweiler is named the top coach.
– Michigan State Football: finished just 4-8 (1-8 Big Ten) under second-year coach Jonathan Smith who was fired after a 4-15 overall record at coach. Former Northwestern Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald replaces Smith.
– MSU men’s basketball: won their 17th Big Ten regular-season champiosnhip as Tom Izzo takes his fourth Coach of the Year. Izzo set the record for most wins by a coach in Big Ten conference play with 354. After defeating Bryant, New Mexico and Ole Miss in the first three tournament rounds MSU loses to Auburn 70-64 in the Elite Eight.MSU 28-5 and 17-1 (Conference).
– U-M Wolverines men’s basketball team under coach Dusty May wins its third Big Ten Men’s Basketball tournament and finished tied for third in the Big Ten season. The defeat UC San Diego and Texas Tech before losing to Auburn 78-65 in the regional semi-finals.
– Ferris State University Football (D2) won
its third national championship in the last 4 years. Coach Tony Annese led the Bulldogs to back-to-back titles and improved his coaching record to 153-21 in 13 seasons.- OTHER: Pistons/MSU broadcaster George Blaha enters the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; Fighter Clarisa Shields wins another boxing title; Colton Herta wins the Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar series downtown; Aldrich Potgieter wins the Rockey Classic at Detroit Golf Club; Jon Rahm leads Legion XIII to the first LIV Team title at The Cardinal in Plymouth; Stewart Cinks takes the PGA Champions Tour Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc.
Deaths with Michigan connections: Richie Adubato, Skip Armstrong, Elijah Berman, Marcel Bonin, Terry Braverman, Mel Bridgman, Lisa Brown-Miller, Elden Campbell, Jim Carras, Joe Coleman, Bill Cottrell, Gino D’Ambrosio, Dennis Davidson, Mike DeBord, Alex Delvecchio, Bill Denehy, Octavio Dotel, Lisa Downey, Mike Eddy, Brian Eisner, Alex Faulkner, Dwight Foster, Al Fracassa, Wally Gabler, Eddie Giacomin, Gregg Glenn III, Bob Goodenow, Buddy Grier, Dick Groch, Larry Henry, Mike Hill, Andy Isaac, Dick Jauron, Larry Jones, Dave Kendall. Mark Kirton, Marshawn Kneeland, Roy Kramer, Mark Laforest, Ray Lane, Bob Lemieux, Chet Lemon, Lonnie Loach, Dakota Luna, Bill McCartney, Phil Meeler, Vic Michaels, Greg Millen, Scott Miller, John Miszuk, Daryl Patterson, Ricky Peters, Warren Pierce, Phil Roberto, Roger Shoals, John Shumate, Roger Shoals, Guido Tenesi, Tom Timmerman, Larry Trader, Sonny VanArnem III.
Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com. Buy his book, “Detroit Sports Broadcasters On the Air” at www.amazon.com.
