April 12, 2006

The winningest coach in Division I-A football history, the seventh-winningest coach in Michigan high school football annals and one of the most influential leaders in college football history will receive the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Awards for 2006.

Florida State living legend Bobby Bowden, former East Lansing High teacher Jeff Smith and the late Don Canham of the University of Michigan will be saluted at a banquet at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, at Eagle Eye Golf Club, 15101 Chandler Road in Bath, Mich.

"It's another great group of honorees," Daugherty Award Committee President Patrick Boog said. "It's as strong a group as you could ever have. And it shows the kind of respect there is for Duffy as a person and as a coach."

The Daugherty Award was first presented in 1992 and honors the memory of the winningest coach in Michigan State football history, a sideline humorist and a pioneer in integration. It is given for lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to amateur football.

A limited number of tickets are available for this year's event at $50 each _ $45 for Mid-Michigan Touchdown Club members. Tables of eight are $400 _ $360 for those in the Touchdown Club. Call (517) 333-2982 for reservations.

With 359 victories, Bowden is still going strong at age 76. He was head coach at Samford, his alma mater, for four seasons and led West Virginia for six years before coming to Florida State in 1976. In 30 seasons with the Seminoles, Bowden's teams have won 286 games, earned two national titles and finished among the nation's top five teams a record 14 straight times.

Smith, a former Michigan player, compiled a 293-93-2 record from 1966-2003 and led the Trojans to the Michigan Class A championship in 1991. He is one of only a handful of coaches to lead teams to state titles in two sports, thanks to his work with the East Lansing track team. The former math teacher is enjoying retirement.

Canham, another ex-track coach and a national champion high jumper with the Wolverines, became Michigan's director of athletics in 1968 and soon hired Glenn "Bo" Schembechler to lead the football program. Together, Canham and Schembechler made the Maize-and-Blue a national power, filled a stadium with more than 111,000 seats and began a string of 31 straight bowl appearances that continues to this day. Canham, who died last spring, revolutionized collegiate sports marketing and helped change the face of sports television.

Canham will be honored posthumously and represented by former Wolverines three-sport standout and NFL star Ron Kramer, among others.

Smith will join Al Fracassa of Birmingham Brother Rice and John Herrington of Farmington Hills Harrison as high school recipients of the Daugherty Award.

Bowden will join college coaches like Schembechler, Bud Wilkinson of Oklahoma, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne of Nebraska, Eddie Robinson of Grambling, Ara Parseghian of Notre Dame, Joe Paterno of Penn State, Woody Hayes of Ohio State, Frank Kush of Arizona State, Biggie Munn of Michigan State and Hayden Fry of Iowa, plus ABC broadcaster Keith Jackson, as Daugherty Award winners.