McBAIN — Tyler Hoover, who was named this week to replace Rich Bennett as the Comets’ new boys basketball coach, brings a broader perspective than most to the role.
Hoover is unique in that he may be the only varsity prep basketball coach in Michigan or perhaps in the nation who was previously an All-American football lineman at a major NCAA Division I university and who was part of the roster of two NFL teams over a period of three seasons.
The 6-foot-7 Hoover starred in both basketball and football at Novi High School downstate before graduating in 2008. In basketball he was strong; in football he was a star two-way player, however, turning into a prime recruit for the top college programs across the country, including the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
He chose Coach Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State program and never regretted the decision.
“I learned so much from Coach Dantonio and his staff, not just about football, but about life,” Hoover said this week by phone from his home in Falmouth where he has been residing with Alexas and daughters Harlow, 7, and Reya, 4, since they relocated from Lake Orion last summer.
“When I graduated from high school, I wanted to go to a college program where they wouldn’t just mold me into a good football player but help to shape me as a person too,” Hoover explained.
“I visited schools across the country but Coach Dantonio and his staff made the biggest impression on me and that’s ultimately why I chose Michigan State. I knew these were the kind of people I wanted coaching me and it gave me confidence in choosing State.
“It turned out exactly the way I thought it would,” he added. “The coaches placed a high value on character and always talked about values that lasted beyond your football career. It was a great experience.”
Hoover was also impacted by teammates like quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is still active in the NFL, and fellow defensive team captain Max Bullough of Traverse City, who is currently the linebackers coach at Notre Dame.
“Listening to guys like Max and Kirk in the locker room every day gave you a lot of motivation,” he said. “They earned the right to speak by the way they worked their tails off and by the way they led the team on and off the field. Kirk was also very outspoken about his faith, which was something that ended up impacting my life as well down the road.
See Hoover on B-5
“I’m very thankful that I was able to be a part of that special time. I know now that I’m coaching I’ll take some of those life lessons I learned from my former teammates and from playing for Coach Dantonio and apply them.”
And, as Michigan State fans will well remember, the early 2010s was also a great time to be a Spartan. In Hoover’s senior season of 2013, they posted a 13-1 record, defeating Ohio State 34-24 for the Big Ten championship and edging Stanford 24-20 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Hoover was captain of the defensive line that season and earned All-American honors. He also subsequently earned a spot on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad in the spring of 2014 and two years later on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad.
“The NFL was very different in that it wasn’t the same kind of family atmosphere as it was in college, even though it was still football and as team members you share a close bond,” Hoover said.
“But it’s more of a business and more of an individual thing in the NFL. But you learn the importance of setting goals and staying on track and being mentally tough and persevering through trials.”
Hoover, who has a bachelor degree in graphic design and studio art from MSU as well as a master’s degree in communication and marketing, is employed as a Jeep Brand manager. As such, he is able to work remotely and so has the freedom to live anywhere in Michigan. Since he and Alexas have always enjoyed camping in the north and wanted their young daughters to be raised not just in a Christian environment and attend a quality Christian school but to experience the outdoors as well, it was natural for the Hoover family to relocate up this way.
They found a home they liked in Falmouth and relocated there in July. After hearing reports about NMC from some of their new neighbors, they checked it out and really liked it and enrolled the girls. Harlow is in first grade presently and Reya is in preschool.
Tyler’s work schedule was flexible enough to allow him to serve as Rich Bennett’s assistant this past season. The Comets, fueled by the strong all-around play and physicality of 6-foot-7 senior post Ethan Bennett and the ball handling and decision-making of Titus Johns, won 14 games and were competitive in nearly every game they didn’t win.
“I learned so much from Rich this season and enjoyed working with the boys so much that it was a natural step for me to take after Rich decided to step down,” Tyler said.
“His schedule wouldn’t allow him to keep coaching and my schedule is flexible enough so that I can do it. It just seemed like the good Lord worked out all the details and opened this door.”
The Comets lose some quality players to graduation, including Ethan and Titus along with Gideon Curell and Elijah Kimbel. The cupboard isn’t bare, however, as Colton Winkle, “Vitamin” Jack Villwock, and Eli Bowden all return with a lot of varsity floor time under their belts. A quality group of underclassmen, including Emmitt Baas and Blair DeZeeuw, will be making the jump from the JV to the varsity next school year also.
“Getting the chance to work with Colton, Jack, and Eli this season gives me the opportunity to hit the ground running,” he said.
“Those three guys all got to start this season. Hopefully we built some excitement and momentum for the JV guys coming up.”
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