By Jennifer Champagne
Managing Editor
The roar of the crowd at Mustang Stadium last week wasn’t just for Thursday night football. It was for coach Terry Sayen, whose name now permanently marks Terry Sayen Athletic Field, where generations of athletes learned not only the game, but also discipline, toughness and loyalty.
Sayen, who led the 1980 Munising Mustangs to a state championship, stood at the 50-yard line surrounded by former players, coaches, friends and four generations of his family as Munising Public Schools formally dedicated the athletic field in his honor.
“It was really nice,” Sayen said. “There’s a lot of people who were involved in this too — that great coaching staff throughout my career. They deserve a lot of credit. It was unbelievable, and my family, we couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Early years and military service
Born and raised in the Upper Peninsula, Sayen graduated from Gwinn High School in 1960 as a three-sport athlete. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1962, serving four years and rising to the rank of sergeant. He also kept playing football while in the service.
That experience shaped the discipline he would later bring to the sidelines.
“He was not for the faint of heart at times,” former player Don “Buzzy” Johnson said. “But he got his point across, and he was so knowledgeable about football. Probably the biggest thing he taught us was no matter how hard it gets, you keep going, keep taking that next step and never give up.”
Sayen returned to Northern Michigan University, where he earned a degree in history and physical education in 1968. At NMU, he was a member of the track team and set the long jump record — a mark that stood for years.
Family, teaching and coaching in Munising
Sayen met his wife, Rosemarie (“Cooie”) while both were students at NMU. They married in 1971 and moved to Munising, where he taught health and physical education, served as athletic director and began coaching football.
Rosemarie recalled their early years with a newborn and a new coaching job.
“The first year JoeyLynn was born, Terry coached football, basketball and track with a brand-new baby in a new town. That was fun,” she said with a laugh. The family’s first home in Munising was an apartment above the old Gambles store downtown.
Their children, JoeyLynn and Chad, had front-row seats to life as a coach’s family.
“I remember Saturday mornings with the football team at our house,” JoeyLynn Selling said. “All his kids were like family to him. He loved coaching, he loved the kids. Still to this day, a lot of them reach out to him.”
Rosemarie, who survived cancer in her 30s, said the players became part of their household.
“Kids were at our house all the time,” she said. “When I went through cancer, the love that was shown to me and my family by the community was remarkable. I only missed one game during treatment, up in Negaunee, and the kids dedicated it to me. I remember Steve Blank talking about it afterward, which was emotional.”
The 1980 state championship
Sayen’s biggest triumph came in 1980, when Munising captured the Class C state title at the Pontiac Silverdome. Players remember both the intensity and the payoff.
“Coach Sayen taught us right from Day 1 about how to play as a team and stick together,” Mike “Red” Stimac said. “Everybody dreams about playing at the Silverdome. Once a Mustang, always a Mustang.”
Quarterback Richard Prunick said the defining moment was the final buzzer.
“When it was over and we won it after all the hard work we had done for years and getting to the end, that was it,” he said. “Coach Sayen was the reason we did it. He was great, and his staff — Coach Hase, Coach Dausey, Coach Feldhusen, Coach Schultz, Coach Riordan, Coach Monette — they all played a part in what we did. You can’t forget those people.”
Longtime assistant coach Joe Hase said, “Whoever hired Terry back then probably had no idea they were hiring a man who would become a U.P. Hall of Fame coach, win a state championship, develop a program respected across the U.P. and eventually have a stadium named after him.”
Tom Stephens, who played on that team and later coached under Sayen, recalled how the season took on a life of its own.
“I’ve never worked so hard for something in the preseason, both physically and mentally,” he said. “But as the season progressed, it became a whirlwind. Everyone got caught up in the excitement. Every game became a little more exciting, and it just really brought the whole town together.”
Sayen himself credited earlier mentors for laying the groundwork. He pointed to Ward Bond, who was coaching when Sayen first arrived in Munising, and to Dick Cromell. Both men devoted countless hours to scouting opponents during the championship season, work that Sayen said was a key part of the Mustangs’ run to the Silverdome.
Wayne Dausey, a longtime assistant coach, said the victory reflected Sayen’s tireless commitment.
“This is definitely long deserved,” he said. “Most people don’t have a clue how much effort he put into all of it. He had to start from scratch to get where he got and keep it going.”
Building a legacy
Between Thursday’s JV and varsity football games against North Central, the community paid tribute to Sayen’s long record of service.
Over 26 seasons as Munising’s head football coach, Sayen compiled a record of 137 wins and 72 losses. His crowning achievement came with the state championship, but his influence spread far wider. He also coached basketball, track and golf, helping to shape the school’s athletic programs for decades. He served as athletic director for 12 years.
Nicole Lasak, Munising’s athletic director, told the crowd, “Today, we celebrate not only a coach but also a teacher, a mentor, a Marine and, above all, a leader — Terry Sayen. What made Coach so remarkable wasn’t just the wins and championships, though there were plenty of those. It was his commitment to his players, students, athletes and young people. He pushed them to be their best, not only on the field but in the classroom and in life. He built confidence, character and resilience. And he showed by example what it means to live with discipline, integrity and heart.”
A standout athlete himself at Gwinn, Sayen excelled in basketball and track, setting records in the high jump and long jump. His coaching career earned statewide recognition: U.P. Coach of the Year, State Class C Coach of the Year, the Midwest Coaching Award, induction into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
The field dedication cements those accomplishments and honors a legacy that continues to shape Munising athletics.
St. Norbert years
After retiring from Munising, Sayen wasn’t finished with football. He joined the coaching staff at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, in 1998, where he worked primarily with linebackers and defensive backs. He remained part of the Green Knights program through at least 2013, appearing on official rosters and game notes across that span. During his tenure, St. Norbert won multiple Midwest Conference titles and made several NCAA Division III playoff appearances.
Colleagues still speak of his influence.
“You could always tell what unit he was coaching because they were fundamentally the best players on the team,” said Larry Nelson, a fellow St. Norbert assistant. “I viewed him as probably the best coach I’ve ever coached with on techniques and fundamentals.”
Former St. Norbert athletic director Don Maslinski said Sayen’s impact went well beyond drills and schemes.
“What you see is what you get,” he said. “There’s no fake with him. He’s honest and loyal to a fault. He really reconnected us with coaches in the U.P., and because of that we’ve had years with more than a dozen U.P. kids on the roster.”
Honoring a legacy
Munising Public Schools trustee Greg Pond, who played under Sayen in the mid-1970s, helped spearhead the field dedication.
“It’s kind of overwhelming, but it’s well deserved for Coach. It shows how important sports are to a school system and what these coaches gave to our program,” Pond said.
Prunick agreed. “Coach Sayen was a great mentor to a lot of us. He made people better — players and students alike,” he said.
Hase added, “Terry brought pride to everyone he coached, everyone he coached with, to the school and to the community. He left a trail of pride that should never be forgotten.”
“I’m just happy they did this for Terry,” Stephens said. “When I heard the announcement, I thought, you know, it’s about time. He turned a lot of boys into men, and he taught us lessons that carried far beyond football.”
As the new field sign was unveiled, Lasak’s voice rang over the loudspeakers. Around Sayen stood his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“It means everything in the community and to him because he deserves it,” Stimac said. “It’s been a long time coming, and everybody loves him.”
Closing words
For Rosemarie, the night was a reminder of the life they built together.
“Friday night football was a big deal,” she said. “Everyone kind of lived it. The state championship year, people would drive by our house just to see what was going on. The love this community showed us — it was remarkable.”
JoeyLynn added, “He truly loved the kids, and I think that’s why they come back and follow him. At the time, you thought he was just tough, but you look around now and you know he did something right.”
Sayen, ever humble, deflected the spotlight.
“I’d like to thank all the people that were there — the school board, Nicole, all my coaches,” he said. “That was a great time. My family really enjoyed it. We appreciate it very much.”
At the end of the night, as supporters walked down the newly christened “Coaches Drive,” you could almost hear the whispers of Mustangs past — the voices of the men and women from every sport who built Munising’s athletic legacy.
Coach Hase, Coach Dausey, Coach Feldhusen, Coach Schultz, Coach Riordan, Coach Monette, Coach Ghiardi, Coach Landfair, Coach Hamilla, Coach Kienitz, Coach Prunick, Coach VanLandschoot, Coach Oatley, Coach Bond, Coach Cromell, Coach Behning, Coach Johnson, Coach Stephens, Coach DesArmo, Coach Paquette — and Coach Terry Sayen, whose name now stands with theirs at the top of the hill, etched forever in Mustang history.