Legendary Glen Lake coaches Paul Christiansen and Don Miller were honored at halftime of last week during a boys basketball game against Kingsley to celebrate 50 years of Laker athletics.
Glen Lake girls basketball coach and alumnus Brad Fosmore surprised Christiansen and Miller with a half-time announcement of a new scholarship in the former Laker coach’s name.
Christiansen coached at Glen Lake for nearly 40 years in track, golf, and junior varsity basketball. Christiansen was nominated to the MHSAA Track Hall Of Fame.
“I was surprised they introduced us and they were going to name a scholarship in both our names.. Everybody else knew but Don and I,” Christiansen said.
Tom Christiansen, no relation to Paul, got the ball rolling on the celebration as he heard Miller and Christiansen met over 50 years ago.
Christiansen coached track for 40 years after starting out as a volunteer.
Miller and Christiansen met 50 years ago in the fall of 1973. A time with a funnier look and a different game of basketball. In fact, they were hired on the same day.
“I was hired initially as a math teacher and assistant football coach, and then the JV basketball job was kind of added on, and then did that gig with Don for 25 years,” Christiansen said. “I was coaching three sports at the time in three seasons, and I had young daughters, so I got out of the boys’ basketball and I swung over to girls’ sports … It’s been a pretty good relationship for 50 years.”
Christiansen went to Michigan State University, but eventually migrated to the peninsula where he has been ever since. Miller and Christiansen talk on the phone at least twice a day.
“It gave me my best friend for life as well as this relationship for 50 years,” Miller said. “The network of players, if I did anything right, and all those years of coaching fostered a family of basketball players … I don’t buy lunch much, the boys take care of me.”
The friends and former basketball players get together every Thursday night, and they eat lunch every now and then during the week.
“It is just a constant family thing, uh, that I’m just blessed to have, absolutely blessed to have ... I don’t ever want it to end,” Miller said.
More details regarding the scholarship and specifications are to be determined.
