In early 2015, when heavily recruited running back Michael Weber found himself in the middle of a major decision -- whether to attend college and play football at the University of Michigan or the Ohio State University, he remembered words of wisdom Cass Tech football head coach Thomas Wilcher passed on to him.
“Coach Wilcher is just a caring guy that wants to see his players win at life,” said Weber, who selected the Buckeyes.
“He always kept me grounded and focused on the task at hand,” said Weber. “He was always there through ups and downs and he always cared about what was most important even now that I’m not there, he still contacts me to see how I’m doing.”
Great coaches recruit well and train well. Current senior Wolverine linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone still pulls from the advice Wilcher gave him when he played in the All-American game in 2012.
“[Coach’s] biggest thing was that he pushed us to never start anything you won’t finish,” said Jenkins-Stone. “He always said, give it your all and have fun. Whatever work you put in is always what you’re going to get out of it.”
Wilcher has sent several dozens of players to college on football scholarships and just recently 11 players from the 2016 class signed their National Letters of Intent.
Remarkably his legacy has reached many corners all around America as Cass Tech alum an All- America Joseph Barksdale recently signed with the San Diego Chargers, mirroring Wilcher’s past. Barksdale returned to Cass Tech in 2013 to talk about being successful in life.
Wilcher, a Detroit native, attended Central High School where he excelled in track and football. He’s a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he ran track and played football. He was an indoor and outdoor All-American for track and field, on the Big Ten football championship team, 10-time MHSAA champion athlete, five-time MHSAA champion coach, Detroit Free Press Coach of the year, MHSAA Coach of the year, inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Fame for track and field. He also played for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers for four months.
Since coming to Cass Tech and coaching track in 1991 and later taking the position as head football coach in 1997. Cass Tech was the first public school in the state of Michigan’s history to win two Division 1 state titles. But Cass Tech was not really an option for him at first.
“I didn’t choose Cass Tech. My football coach who coached me in high school, he was the principal here. Dr. David Sneed and he was also the school superintendent,” said Wilcher.
He selected me to come here at Cass Tech instead of going to my old high school. It was between my old high school and CT. I had already coached JV football there at Central. I was planning on enrolling there in the fall but Dr. Sneed pulled me over here,” said Wilcher.
Wilcher goes beyond what would be expected from a typical football coach.
Following the Michigan State vs Purdue game in early October, MSU Junior and Cass Tech alumni Dennis Finley injured his leg and coach Wilcher paid a special visit to Lansing to check on him.“Knowing that my football career officially started when I arrived to high school, Wilcher definitely kept a close eye on me,” said Finley. He saw potential in me, as did everyone else because I’m 6’6” and really never played sports. So he assured that I fully understood everything that was going on around me.”
“He also made it his goal for me to do my best and receive a college scholarship. Now that I have, I owe a lot of my accomplishments to Wilcher,” said Finley.
Another example of going beyond the call of duty is how Wilcher spends $100 a week at the laundry mat, washing uniforms for 14 games.
“That’s about $1,400 a season spent just washing uniforms since the heavy duty machine at school gave out.” He said.
But he does it because Cass Tech is his family.
And coach Wilcher may play a fatherly role to his players, he is the father of his own three. children. His son and oldest daughter are both Cass alumni. His son is currently a wide receiver at the University of Toledo, and in graduate school. His oldest daughter is applying to medical school while finishing her senior year at Howard University, and his youngest daughter is a junior all-state track runner in the Southfield School district.
“I have to gear a lot of things around the football team and my own family. I might miss a Michigan game to attend my son’s games on the weekends. I have to think about my daughter and schedule my holidays around what she is doing at Howard. My schedule is balanced between family and football,” said Wilcher.
Coach Wilcher’s dedication, consideration and motivating spirit has impacted all of the players he has coached. Many of the players place him on a pedestal and are certain they can go to him for anything.
“I think it can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing. All of them want a dollar and if you have 100 kids that all want a dollar every day, that’s $100 dollars times five. That’s five hundred dollars a week. I don’t have that much money,” joked Wilcher.
“It also can be a good thing though because they depend upon you listen to you and try to follow your instructions. So it’s a good thing. They know you will get them straightened out.”
Former Assistant Coach Jermaine Crowell left the Technicians this past season to take over the Bellevue High School team as head coach. He recalled some advice when first coming to Cass, Wilcher imparted on him.
“If you come to Cass to coach, understand that the kids are going to do exactly what you say,” said Crowell, “and he was so right.”
