Alumnus Sheridan ‘77 Brings Experience to DLS Athletics, Admissions

You can go home again. 

Bill Sheridan, ‘77, returned to De La Salle Collegiate this fall, as a member of the varsity football coaching staff and also handles responsibilities in the DLS Admissions Department. 

After years of living in the Ann Arbor area, Bill and his wife, Jaycine, made a decision in late 2022 to return to the East Side, where both have extensive family and friends. Bill is one of 12 children, four girls and eight boys. The 12 Sheridans all attended St. Raymond Grade School. 

His sisters all attended Regina High School; Bill and six of his brothers are De La Salle alumni, as well as several nephews. Bill’s father was a Detroit police officer, and the family lived in northeast Detroit.

While online research details Bill’s coaching journey, and the many stops along the way, working with legendary coaches and players, what doesn’t show is his perseverance and dedication to teaching. 

Sheridan played for DLS under Coach John Maronto before heading to Grand Valley State University, earning his teaching credentials. 

“I wanted to go into teaching because of the correlation with coaching,” Sheridan said. 

After college, he taught Social Studies at St. Clare de Montefalco (Grosse Pointe Park), and later at St. Louis the King (Detroit).

“I never saw the inside of a gym,” Sheridan said. “At that time, when you got a teaching certificate, you could teach anything from kindergarten to eighth grade.” 

While teaching, Sheridan was an assistant coach at Royal Oak Shrine, and started thinking about getting into college coaching. 

He thought being a head coach at a high school could be his ticket to the university level, but “I got one interview with Marine City Holy Cross, and didn’t get it.”  

He added, “I realized a school like Chippewa Valley wasn’t going to hand me the head coaching job.”

Sheridan talked with his Grand Valley State coach Jim Harkema, who encouraged Bill to consider becoming a graduate assistant on Harkema’s staff at Eastern Michigan University. 

Sheridan headed to Ypsilanti, and attended spring practices, while taking classes and seeking internships. 

But Lloyd Carr, then a coach under Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan, reached out to Harkema, looking to add to his staff.

Thus began Bill’s long career at the collegiate level: Maine, Cincinnati, Army, Michigan State, the University of Notre Dame, and then back to Ann Arbor from 2002-2004. 

You can go home again. 

While Bill and his family were living in Ann Arbor, and his children had started school, the professional teams came knocking.

With the New York Giants, Bill was the linebackers' coach for the Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl Championship team. 

He had a stint with the Miami Dolphins, and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before coming home to Detroit. He coached linebackers for the Lions from 2014-2017.

Then it was back to the college ranks. Boston College. Air Force. Wisconsin. 

But in the summer of 2022, he was back in Michigan, with his four children grown, out of college, married, with children of their own. 

He was back home. Again. 

Bill’s contact list is extensive. 

Before long, he was asked to join the coaching staff at Belleville High School.

Sheridan, ever the teacher, wanted to make sure he wasn’t just a face out on the football field. He wanted to be in school - even if only for the semester - and became the permanent teaching substitute. Belleville went on to win the 2022 Division 1 championship.

He already had an XFL coaching job lined up for January 2023, and he and Jaycine had purchased a house in northern Macomb County, planning to move once the XFL season ended for the Arlington (Texas) Renegades. 

You can go back home.

This fall, following his move to the “East Side,” Sheridan is working closely with Admissions Director Brendan Johnson, ‘15, particularly focused on the recruitment of international students. 

“Bill adds a great mix of experience, professionalism, and Pilot pride to the Admissions Department,” Johnson said. “A large focus of his time will be exploring ways for us to reignite an international student presence at DLS. In addition to his work in expanding the international student program, Bill is helping with a lot of the day-to-day operations, including the Pilot for a Day students, and preparing for admissions events this fall. He is a tremendous asset to our school, and it’s great to have him back at his alma mater on a daily basis.”

“When I walk in the building every day, I have two feelings,” Sheridan said.

“I feel good. It’s a great atmosphere, a great culture, and there are wonderful people in the building. The other feeling I have is pride. I am proud of being a graduate. Proud of being part of the staff here, proud of being part of the football staff, and proud of being part of the academic effort with the Admissions Department.”

But more importantly, Sheridan sees himself as a teacher.

“I’m here to be a good role model, caring for the players, their well-being, wanting them to be successful,” Sheridan said. “I wanted to be in the building, and didn’t want to just roll in every day at 2:30 p.m.”

As for football, Sheridan says, “I have 40 years of experience, and that’s a lot of experience seeing a lot of different things.” 

Athletic Director Dan Rohn said, “As great as it has been to have Coach Sheridan join our football program because of his experience, knowledge, and love for the game, having Bill in the hallways and around our students, staff, and community has been an added bonus because of his professionalism, dedication, and loyalty. When he spoke to our Dads’ Club at its September meeting, you could tell and hear in his voice the love and pride he has for being an alumnus and how he wants to see the school continue to grow and improve in every way possible.”

Visit De La Salle any day, and look down the hall toward Sheridan’s office. When the bell rings for classes, Bill steps out in the hall. Looks kids in the eye. Shakes hands. Asks their names.

Yes. You can go home. 

Alumnus Sheridan ‘77 Brings Experience to DLS Athletics, Admissions
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