EAST GRAND RAPIDS – When presented with the idea to celebrate a coaching milestone, Milton “Butch” Briggs balked at it.
The longtime East Grand Rapids swimming and diving coach doesn't like to be the center of attention, but his teams have undoubtedly built two of the state's perennial powerhouses over the past 50-plus years. It's here.
“He said vehemently, 'No, we're not doing that,'” Pioneers women's assistant coach Gwen Burns said. “But it's going to be very cool and very rewarding. We should commemorate this occasion as a community and as a swimming community. He touched so many lives and was an active member of the community over the years. He was a great member.”
On Saturday, the East Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Alumni Association will commemorate Briggs and his 50 years of teaching at the school.
Briggs took over the East Grand Rapids men's swimming and diving program during the 1972-1973 season and the women's program in the fall of 1974. He coached a total of 102 seasons, winning 26 MHSAA Finals for the girls and 12 for the boys. .
Briggs always wanted to focus on the team and not himself.
“He's not someone who likes to be in the spotlight,” said Tim Johnston, the Pioneers' former athletic director. “He's a very private person, but it's great that this group of alumni, swimmers and parents want to celebrate him.
“He's one of the best coaches I've ever had the privilege of working with, but I can honestly say he's a better person and more than just a coach. That's the truth. .
Former EGR swimmer Chris Ward was a member of the first girls state championship team in 1978.
“He was a big influence on me,” Ward said. “Just from understanding hard work and dedication and being part of a team. Then follow that. He worked with different people on the team and helped us come together. That's It's all about life lessons, and he's teaching them to his kids even as he succeeds.”
Briggs also coached Ward's daughters Alex, Ashley and Abby.
“He always valued connecting with kids,” Ward said. “All my kids were able to swim for him, so I had that experience with him in a different way and watched how he interacted with all the girls on the team. did.
“He starts by connecting with one person and then runs with it to make his success even better.”
Burns, who has been an assistant coach for the women's team for the past three years, also swam for Briggs from 1984-87.
Her team won the finals four years in a row and never lost in dual competition.
“We had high expectations, and we felt them, even though they were unspoken,” Burns said. “We had a desire and felt that we wanted to do our best on that team every year, and he instilled this culture of dedication and hard work. Each swimmer has different abilities. He had it, but he was able to utilize it to make us do our best.”
Burns was able to get a different perspective on Briggs as an assistant.
She noted that while he still exhibits the same traits in terms of his attitude, sense of humor, kindness and perseverance, his dedication to the program and student-athletes has also never wavered.
“Coaching with him as an assistant, you can see how much effort and time he puts in, which sometimes goes unnoticed,” Burns said. “To maintain that level of dedication for 50 years is pretty amazing, and he has this presence even when he's on the pool deck, demanding everyone do their best. I hold everyone to the same standards and everyone on the team feels like they're important, which I think is great.
“He has weaved together many stories and lessons over the years, preserving traditions that make the current team feel like they are part of history and built on history. think.”
Briggs played football and ran track in high school and was inducted into the Grand Rapids Hall of Fame in 2009. EGR his natatorium was named after Briggs in 2014.
Briggs, who taught at Ottawa Hills High School, has also received national attention. In June 2020, he was named National Women's Swimming Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association. Briggs previously received the same honor in 2011.
He wrote this about his coaching philosophy as part of his nomination for the NFHS Women's Swimming Award:
“My coaching philosophy has been, and continues to be, evolving. I have built relationships with hundreds of amazing young people who have taught me life lessons in real-time and real-life situations. My experience as a new coach revolved around winning. We worked together as a team, supported each other both in and out of the pool, and thankfully I had each. I was able to see the value in my athletes. Now, I try to interact with each athlete during every team activity and track their progress in non-swimming endeavors. When I removed my ego from the results, the whole atmosphere became much more enjoyable and productive. And we still have the potential to be successful. The Lord put me in the right place at the right time. Thank you.”
Ward said he expects about 200 people to attend Saturday's celebration.
“He influenced so many people in the swimming world and there's something special about what he created,” Ward said. “Not only will all the kids on the current team and their families be there, but we'll also have people from different generations. We'll have some people come from far away.”
As for Briggs' future, Burns doesn't expect him to step down anytime soon.
“I never saw him stop,” she said. “His passion is EGR swimming and I think he will continue to be a part of the program for as long as he can and wants to be.”
Dean Holzworth spent 16 years at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive, followed by short stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM, and five years covering primarily high school sports at Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV . To contact him, [email protected] Includes story ideas for Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties.
photograph (Above) Longtime East Grand Rapids swim coach Butch Briggs (right) celebrates his half-century coaching career with the Pioneers this weekend. (Center) Briggs, her second from far left, celebrates her 2014 Lower Peninsula Division 3 Championship with the women's team. (Top photo: Kris Ward, middle photo: high school sports scene. )
