Four-time NCAA Division II Football National Champion head coach Tony Annese has been chosen to be inducted into the 2026 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Class, joining many of the states's all-time legends who have previously been enshrined.

The announcement was made on Wednesday and Annese will be honored during the 2026 induction event on December 17 at the Sound Board Theater at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit.

The class was voted on by the Hall of Fame's Election Task Force, a Statewide Election Committee and the public. Annese was voted for induction in his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit committed to preserving the State of Michigan's sports history and celebrating the State's legendary athletes, coaches and contributors. The Election Task Force, comprised of current and former journalists, sports executives, and other diverse and knowledgeable members of the community, was chaired by Risa Balayem of PR1, Inc., a longtime sports and entertainment communications professional. The Class was ratified, unanimously, by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors, which also selected the winners of this year's awards.

"This class is filled with champions from varied levels and eras. Their induction helps make sure that fans of Michigan won't forget what they accomplished. Congratulations to the Class of 2026," said Scott Lesher, Hall of Fame chairman.

A native of Corunna, an Alma College alum and football coach at six Michigan high schools, Annese is best known for his winning programs at the college level. In three seasons at Grand Rapids Community College, his teams only lost three games, including a perfect season in 2011. He coached 14 All-Americans at GRCC, before moving on to Ferris State. In Big Rapids, his Bulldogs have won four Division II National Championships in the last five years heading into the 2026 season and he ranks as one of the country's winningest active head coaches regardless of level. Ferris State is currently the nation's preseason top-ranked D2 team entering 2026.

Hired as the head coach at FSU prior to the 2012 season, Annese has led the Bulldogs to seven conference championships, 11 playoff appearances and four NCAA Division II National Championships (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) while compiling a record of 153-21 at FSU. In 2024, he was honored as the first-ever recipient of the Walter Camp Division II Coach of the Year by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Prior to his collegiate career, Annese established himself as one of the state's premier prep coaches and a football mastermind in four stops at the prep level. He posted a mark of 195-41 in 22 seasons as a prep head coach at Montrose, Ann Arbor Pioneer, Jenison and Muskegon High Schools while making 15 playoff appearances and five trips to the state semifinals, including three state championships.

Heading into his 14th season at Ferris State, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level under Annese. FSU has posted the best winning percentage of all 21 collegiate programs in the state of Michigan along with the GLIAC since his arrival. Overall, Annese has won 86% of his games as a head coach on the collegiate and prep levels and owns 378 wins to date, which is the most of any current GLIAC member head coach at all levels.

Annese was the lone coach selected for induction in this year's seven-member class, which also includes Swin Cash (professional), Kevin Glover (professional), Mark Ingram II (amateur), Peter Vanderkaay (amateur), Paul Woods (media) and Bill Lajoie (contributor) in addition to Annese. As part of the class announcement, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych was also chosen to receive the Michigan Treasure Award and Doug Drenth was honored as the Courage Award recipient.

"We appreciate the increased number of Michigan sports fans who helped select this class," added Jordan Field, Hall of Fame president. "Public voters supported those they remember the most, helping to make sure each of our inductees is among the most
worthy."

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame includes many of the state's all-time greats, including past professional standouts and big names such as Gordie Howe, Barry Sanders, Al Kaline, Steve Yzerman, Desmond Howard, Jim Harbaugh, Chris Webber, Mickey Redmond, Tom Izzo, Derek Jeter, Jerome Bettis, Lance Parrish, Magic Johnson, Joe Dumars and more. More than 400 legends have been inducted since the hall of fame's founding in 1954.

The Hall of Fame was organized in 1954 by Lt. Governor Philip A. Hart, Michigan State University Athletic Director Biggie Munn, Donald Weeks, President of the Greater Michigan Foundation, W. Nicholas Kerbawy, General Manager of the Detroit Lions and George Alderton of the Lansing State Journal who conceived of the project. It is believed to be the oldest State Sports Hall of Fame in the United States, having elected its inaugural Class in 1955.

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is committed to impacting communities and inspiring people by celebrating & honoring the traditions, legacies and history of sports throughout the state of Michigan.

As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, particularly when it comes to inclusion, the Hall's Board undertook a careful review of all nomination and election processes, to ensure as many worthy candidates have a chance at induction as possible in the future. This is the first year the Board ratified a class under these new guidelines.

Tickets for the Dec. 17 event, which start at $25, are available online at mshof.org.

The Hall of Fame also invites fans to dress like a Hall of Famer. Michigan Sports Hall of Fame apparel is now available via mshof.org, click "Shop". All proceeds support the Hall's mission of preserving the history of Michigan sports.

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a volunteer-led 501c3 non-profit organization. For more information visit mshof.org, follow @MichiganSportsHOF on Facebook, @MSHOF on X/Twitter, and @michigansports_HOF on Instagram.

_{Release courtesy of Ferris State Athletics.}