Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Former EMU Football Coach Bob LaPointe Passes Away
2/2/2012 11:33:00 AM | Football, General
LaPointe served the EMU football team from 1978-82
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Bob LaPointe, who served as a member of the football coaching staff at Eastern Michigan University from 1978-1982, including a stint as interim head coach for eight games in '82, passed away Jan. 31, 2012. He was 66 years-old.
LaPointe enjoyed a long career as a football coach in the state of Michigan, including his tenure with the then-Hurons.
LaPointe joined the EMU coaching staff in 1978 as an assistant under head coach Mike Stock. After spending four years as an assistant to Stock, LaPointe was promoted to interim head coach three games into the 1982 season. The '82 squad was in the midst of the longest losing streak in Eastern Michigan history, 22 games, when LaPointe took over the reigns. After dropping his first five games, the team was able to defeat Kent State 9-7, Nov. 6, to break the 27-game losing streak. Following his 1-6-1 tenure as the interim head coach of the Hurons, LaPointe was relieved of the head job in favor of Jim Harkema.
LaPointe was a 1969 graduate of Eastern Michigan.
Prior to joining the EMU staff, LaPointe served as the head coach of the Dearborn Divine Child High School football team from 1974-77, winning a Class B Michigan State Championship in 1975 with a Falcons team which went undefeated.
Following his tenure with Eastern, LaPointe became the head coach of Notre Dame Prep in Pontiac, Mich. in the mid-1980s until he became the head coach at Belleville High School. He remained at Belleville for the remainder of his career. LaPointe spent nearly 20 years coaching for the Tigers before retiring in 2010. He had the pleasure of coaching future National Football League caliber athletes in Kris Jenkins, Cullen Jenkins and Ian Gold.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Feb 2, from 4-9 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 3, from 3-9 p.m. at Vermeulen Funeral Home (46401 W Ann Arbor Rd) in Plymouth, Mich. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. at Ward Presbyterian Church (40000 Six Mile Road) in Northville, Mich. Memorial contributions may be made to Belleville High School Football Program (501 W Columbia) in Belleville, Mich.
LaPointe enjoyed a long career as a football coach in the state of Michigan, including his tenure with the then-Hurons.
LaPointe joined the EMU coaching staff in 1978 as an assistant under head coach Mike Stock. After spending four years as an assistant to Stock, LaPointe was promoted to interim head coach three games into the 1982 season. The '82 squad was in the midst of the longest losing streak in Eastern Michigan history, 22 games, when LaPointe took over the reigns. After dropping his first five games, the team was able to defeat Kent State 9-7, Nov. 6, to break the 27-game losing streak. Following his 1-6-1 tenure as the interim head coach of the Hurons, LaPointe was relieved of the head job in favor of Jim Harkema.
LaPointe was a 1969 graduate of Eastern Michigan.
Prior to joining the EMU staff, LaPointe served as the head coach of the Dearborn Divine Child High School football team from 1974-77, winning a Class B Michigan State Championship in 1975 with a Falcons team which went undefeated.
Following his tenure with Eastern, LaPointe became the head coach of Notre Dame Prep in Pontiac, Mich. in the mid-1980s until he became the head coach at Belleville High School. He remained at Belleville for the remainder of his career. LaPointe spent nearly 20 years coaching for the Tigers before retiring in 2010. He had the pleasure of coaching future National Football League caliber athletes in Kris Jenkins, Cullen Jenkins and Ian Gold.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Feb 2, from 4-9 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 3, from 3-9 p.m. at Vermeulen Funeral Home (46401 W Ann Arbor Rd) in Plymouth, Mich. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. at Ward Presbyterian Church (40000 Six Mile Road) in Northville, Mich. Memorial contributions may be made to Belleville High School Football Program (501 W Columbia) in Belleville, Mich.
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