Brother Rice Football Coach Makes List of Detroit's Top Sports Moments

Longtime Brother Rice football coach Al Fracassa's moment in the spotlight just became a little brighter.

The Detroit Sports Commission recently named the football coach's seventh state title win this November as one of the Top 10 Detroit Amateur Sports Moments of 2011.

The Detroit Sports Commission is a subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"The Detroit Sports Commission is proud to recognize the tremendous accomplishments of the local amateur sports community during 2011," said Dave Beachnau, the commission's executive director.

on Nov. 26. The victory was the Warriors' first state title since 2005, but for Fracassa — who's been coaching for 52 years — it was the seventh time he's led a team to victory in the state finals.

Earlier in the season, with a 38-2 victory over Chandler Park on Oct. 21. With the win, Fracassa, 78, became only the ninth coach in history to reach the 400-win landmark. Fracassa has been a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame since 1999.

Fracassa told maxpreps.com following the Chandler Park game that while he may not have many more coaching years ahead of him, he loves being with young people.

"I don't know if I am going to last much longer," he said. "Maybe I'll go one more year. One year at a time - that's the way I decide. I love working with young people. That's my life."

The other nine moments on the Detroit Sports Commission's top 10 list include:

• Oakland University making the NCAA men's basketball tournament and advancing to the second round.
• Wayne State University football team advancing to the Division 2 National Championship game.
• Wayne State women's swimming and diving team winning their second straight GLIAC crown and posting third consecutive runner-up finishes at the NCAA championship.
• University of Detroit Mercy dedicating the new Dick Vitale court at Calihan Hall.
• Eastern Michigan University football coach Ron English being named MAC Coach of the Year.
• Tom Anastoes leaving the CCHA to become the Michigan State head hockey coach.
• Detroit Cass Tech winning the MSAA Division 1 football championship.
• The Novi girls soccer team being rated the No. 1 team in the U.S. by ESPN.
• Inkster, Dearborn Divine Child and Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes all winning state titles in girls basketball.