Longtime Suttons Bay coach Garrick Opie has officially stepped away from the program after six years of coaching the Norsemen in 8-player football..
“Number one, it’s a privilege to be able to do coach. I think a lot of dads would jump at that opportunity. To be able to coach your sons and see them all the way from Pop Warner—which is when I started — to taking all three of them through their senior years as a head coach was amazing. I can’t even put it into words. It’s been a massive part of my life. I’ve had some of the best times in my life with (the team),” Opie said. “All of the hundreds of kids or young men that I have coached — they are all sons to me.”
Coach Opie was a trailblazer for young men, leading the Norse to a 56-28 overall record and a 12-4 playoff record, including three appearances in the MHSAA Division 1 8-player state championship games.
Opie’s biggest accomplishment as coach was being named the MHSAA 8-player Coach of the Year in 2021.
Season Records:
• 2018: 10-2
• 2019: 12-1
• 2020: 10-1 (COVID-shortened season)
• 2021: 12-1 (Coach of the Year)
• 2022: 3-5
• 2023: 3-5
• 2024: 6-3
The Norsemen reached three straight 8-player state championship games. Though they didn’t claim a title, they quickly became a powerhouse, expected to contend for states year after year.
All three of Opie’s sons, whom he coached throughout their high school careers, went on to study at Michigan State University. The youngest, Grayson Opie, will be graduating this fall. Looking ahead, Garrick and his wife, Cynthia, hope to enjoy travel and new adventures as their children near full independence.
“I’m not really sure what (life) looks like right now, but I hope we have a long time to enjoy our future. The school has been a massive part of our lives,” Opie said. “If I could go back 14+ years and start all over again, I’d step right in and do it because it was special.”
Opie expressed gratitude to the assistant coaches who helped lead the team over the years, including Stan Pasch, Steve Loucks, Doug Periard, Pat Lamb, Layton Korson, Dan Wiesen, Alan Waisanen, and Todd Morton, for their dedication and contributions.
“I cannot thank (Pasch) enough for being on the sideline with me and allowing me to draw from his 50+ years of experience as a coach. He is an amazing coach and individual, and I attribute much of our success to Stan. I can’t thank him enough,” Opie said. “After 26 years of coaching and having the privilege of coaching beside (Loucks) through many years with our sons was an incredible experience. His hard work and dedication helped drive our program to great success over my years as head coach. I had the best staff a man could ask for.”
Another huge shout out went to his wife, Cynthia Opie.
“I want to also thank my wife for all her time, understanding, and help with essentially everything around the program— whether it’s working with other parents, managing boosters, concessions, or everything else. She’s done countless things, and I could not have done any of it without her,” he said.
