Coaching Staff
Brendan Flaherty - Head Coach
bflaherty2@birmingham.k12.mi.us
Coach Flaherty has been the head football coach at Groves since 2001. He has extensive football background from both the high school and collegiate levels. A 1990 Graduate from Eastern Michigan University where he was a senior captain of the football team and earned 3 varsity letters. Coach Flaherty returned to coach at Eastern and then later at Kent State and St. Joseph's College in Indiana. Coach Flaherty has the most wins by a coach in Groves Football History. He has led Groves to 4 league championships (2003, 2011, 2015, 2016) and 7 state playoff appearances (2001, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). Coach Flaherty has been named Regional Coach of the Year in 2004, 2015, and 2016 by the Michigan High School Coaches Association. Coach Flaherty is also the head track coach for the Boys and Girls teams at Groves. Coach Flaherty has been instrumental in developing the Birmingham Unified Youth Football Organization "BUYFO", aka Birmingham Patriots. He and his wife Tracey have three children; Kaitlin (Former Groves Student), Ryan (Former Groves Football Captain) and Logan (Former Groves Football Captain).
Matt Turner
Offensive Coordinator
Offensive Line
Coach Turner graduated from Ohio State University in 1990 with a BA degree in political science. He then attended Detroit College of Law and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1993. He began his coaching career with Bloomfield Hills Andover in 1986. He then coached at Dublin High School in Ohio from 1988-1989. Later at Birmingham Seaholm from 1991-2005 and 2007, serving as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He was offensive coordinator at Troy Athens in 2006. He was named assistant coach of the year by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association in 2002. Matt is an attorney and his wife Karen is a school teacher. They have three children Mia, Eli (Former Groves Player), and Luca.
Mike Salter
Offensive Line
Coach Salter has been coaching football for over 20 years. He coached at Garden City High School from 1993-2009, 13 of those years as the head coach leading the Cougars to back to back playoff runs and was named the 1999 Metro West Coach of the Year by the Detroit News. Coach Salter has spent 5 years coaching his sons in the Westland Comets Youth Football Organization. He has taught science classes for over 25 years and currently teaches Science at Southfield Christian. He and his wife Kelly have two sons Ryan (Groves Class of 2018) and Joshua (Groves Class of 2019).
Barry Sutton
Quarterbacks
Coach Sutton graduated from University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1990. He then attended the University of Florida College of Law and graduated with honors in 1993. He began his coaching career with the Birmingham Patriots in 2008, where he has served multiple teams as offensive coordinator, running backs and quarterbacks coach for the last seven years. He joined the Groves staff in 2013. He has coached three undefeated teams during his coaching career. Barry is an attorney with the law firm of Clark Hill, PLC where he specializes in national trial defense of product liability claims, including outdoor products. He is married to Nicole, and has four children: Dylan (Former Groves Captain, Cole (Current Groves Football Player), Madison and Bryce.
Joe Rusek
Runningbacks
Head Junior Varsity Coach
David Mason
Brian Hafner '96
Linebackers
Coach Hafner is a former captain and Groves Graduate. During his time playing for Groves he was the first person to play four years of varsity football in school history. Coach Hafner has coached at Groves from 1996-99, 01-07, and came back to the program in 2012. Coach Hafner also coached at Berkley and U of D Jesuit High School. He currently teaches Health and Physical Education at Groves. He and his wife Ashley have four sons Jack, James, Wells and Nash.
Jason Wilson
Defensive Line
Coach Wilson is an alumnus of Port Huron Northern HS and the University of Michigan. He has coached football since 2002, coaching at Groves from 2006-08 and 2012 until present (from 2009-11 he was the varsity defensive coordinator at Wayne Memorial HS). Coach Wilson is the varsity defensive line coach and the head strength and conditioning coach. He was recognized as 2017 Assistant Coach of the Year by the MHSFCA. Coach Wilson is a certified strength and conditioning coach through IYCA and a member of the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA). He has taught mathematics at Groves since the 2005-06 school year. His wife, Shannon, is a human resource manager at a local technical college and they reside in Canton with their daughter, Payton
John Curran
Defensive Backs
Coach Curran is a 1985 graduate of Shrine High School where he was captain of the football team. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990 and has coach football at Groves since 1994. He has served roles as the defensive back coach, wide receivers coach, and was the defensive coordinator for the 2004 district champion team. He has been a part of 5 league championships and 8 playoff teams at Groves. Coach Curran and his wife Susan have three children Allyson, Lauren, and Jack (Former Groves Football Player).
Juan Hammonds
Defensive Line
Coach Hammonds graduated from Michigan State University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Art in Criminal Justice. He played Defensive End for the Spartans where he was a four-year letter winner, 1992 & 1993 All Big-Ten Honorable Mention Defensive End and senior co-captain.
He played professional football with the Canadian Football League, (Toronto Argonauts 1995, and Montreal Alouettes 1996) and National Football League, (Jacksonville Jaguars, 1996-1997).
For the past seven years, Juan has been the head coach and defensive coordinator for youth Football with OMYFA, coaching with NFWB Vikings and the Birmingham Patriots.
He and his wife Jennifer have four children, Jasmine, Jordan (Groves Graduate), Juan Jr. and Joshua (Current Groves Player). Currently working as a Supervisor for Department of Corrections.
Henry Van Faussien '19
Outside Linebackers
David Hayes
Kickers
Coach Hayes joined the Groves staff in 2012 as the advance scout/assistant coach and in his 19th season coaching football. Coach Hayes has coached at Bloomfield Hills Middle School, Andover High School and Seaholm High School. He is married to Melissa Swanson (Groves Class of 1996) and they have one son, Owen.
Tom Downey
Special Teams
Coach Downey has been on the staff since 2003. He runs the special teams on game days. Coach Downey is known for his passion, enthusiasm and intensity on game days. Coach Downey played high school football for Garden City East and was an all-league selection. Coach Downey's son Tom Jr. played for Groves from 1999-2002. Coach Downey and his wife Diane have two children Tom Jr. and Christina (both Groves Grads).
Head Freshman Coach
Bill Bodle
Nick Leone
JV Assistant Coach
Aaron Sherman '08
Freshman Assistant Coach
Bill Whan
Freshman Assistant Coach
Shon Johnson
JV Assistant Coach
Charlie Riddle '19
Freshman Assistant Coach
Storm Mullen '19
Freshman Assistant Coach
Aaron Christian
Assistant Coach
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Tom Flynn
A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Tom started at Groves in 1990 as a substitute teacher and athletic trainer. In 1995, Tom was hired as a full-time teacher. He received his Master of Arts from Wayne State University in 1996 in Athletic Administration and became Groves Athletic Director in 2001. A member of the board of Michigan Athletic Administration Association and the representative from Oakland County (Region 11), Tom also serves on the MHSAA Swim Committee and is the Groves representative on the Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition. Tom has been married to his lovely wife Sarah for over 20 years.
ATHLETIC TRAINER
Kelly Salter
Kelly joined Groves High School in 2011 as our Athletic Trainer. 1996 graduate of Grand Valley State University in health science and athletic training. Worked in outpatient physical therapy at garden city hospital and provided athletic training services for U of M Dearborn and Garden City High School before coming to Groves. Married to Mike with 2 sons, Ryan an Joshua.