Coach of Champions

In an era rife with racism and antisemitism, Wayne State University athletic director and track coach D.L. Holmes emerged as a first-rate coach and mentor dedicated to supporting athletes of all races. Throughout his forty-one years at the public university in Detroit (1917-58), he welcomed thousands of athletes--Black, Jewish, Eastern-European, and others--coaching many to become Olympians, world record holders, and national and AAU champions. This uplifting account captures D.L.'s uncanny ability to discover and nurture hidden talent and the motivation he inspired in scores of athletes, including many inductees of Wayne State's Hall of Fame like Tom Adams and Leroy Dues. Weaving together team member interviews conducted by Coach Holmes's son and gripping narratives authored by his grandson Keith D. Wunderlich, this book reveals how D.L. created champions against the odds by wielding the enduring power of believing in others.