Coaching Staff

VARSITY

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 (Current Groves Student).

Matt Turner

Offensive Coordinator

Offensive Line

Tom Downey

Special Teams

FRESHMAN STAFF

Brian Baldridge

Head Coach

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).

Bart Tinsley

JV Head Coach

Coach Baldridge joined the coaching staff in 2011. Previously he was the Berkshire Middle School head football coach for ten years. Before moving to Michigan, Brian Coached two years at Anthony Wayne High School in Northwest Ohio. He was a varsity assistant coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator. Brian currently teaches at Berkshire middle school. He has three children, Griffin, Reese, and Emery.

Billy Bodle

Assistant Coach

Aaron Sherman '08

Assistant Coach

Coach Sherman is a former offensive and defensive lineman for Groves. He has been on the staff since 2013. He helps with game day set-up, filming practice and scouting opponents. He graduated in 2014 from Oakland Community College with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts.

Dave Mason

JV Assistant Coach

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 (Current Groves Player), and Luca.

GAME DAY ASSISTANTS

Josh Lebovic

David Hayes

Kickers

Coach Lebovic joined the Groves Football program in 2011. He graduated from West Bloomfield High School in 2002. He graduated from Eastern Michigan in December 2016, with a degree in Education and Social Studies. Coach Lebovic started with Groves helping the coaching staff with operations and video. He and his wife Laura have a daughter named Sadie.

Scott MacKinnon

Video Tech Coordinator

Scott is a great asset to Groves Football, he assists the coaching staff and team with capturing the practices and games on video. Reviewing video is invaluable to the preparation for upcoming games and evaluating individual and team play. Scott is the "Falcon's Eye in the Sky" up on top of the press box at all the games. Scott is a Groves Grad and also works at Groves as the computer and technology guru.

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.

Barry Sutton

Quarterbacks

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.

Ben Flannery '14

Ben is a Groves Graduate and helps with sideline control during game days. This is his fifth year as game day manager. He is currently attending Oakland University.

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.

Zak Kareem

Wide Receivers

Coach Kareem is originally from Flint Michigan where he was a three year varsity football stand out at Flint Central High School earning a D-1 scholarship to play wide receiver at Central Michigan University. Before coming to Groves, Coach Kareem was the receivers coach at Henry Ford and Flint Central High Schools. He has also coached the Birmingham Patriots Flag football team. This is Coach Kareem's first year on the varsity staff. Coach Kareem works in advertising and mass media, his wife Tara Kareem is a senior mortgage banker for Quicken Loans, they live with their two kids Jazmin and Taj (Birmingham Patriots).

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.

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 20 years and currently teaches Biology at Garden City High School. He and his wife Kelly have two sons Ryan (Groves Class of 2018) and Joshua (Groves Class of 2019).

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 (Current Groves Football Player).