CHARLEVOIX — Doug Drenth of Charlevoix has been named the 2025 Division 3 Coach of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association, following a season marked by both athletic success and personal hardship.
Drenth, who led the Charlevoix Rayders golf team to a strong season, was seriously injured in a head-on collision April 27 while driving a school van carrying seven student-athletes, including his son, Maxwell. The group had been returning from an event at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course when a stolen vehicle fleeing police struck the van.
Drenth’s actions behind the wheel are credited with potentially saving the lives of the students. Four golfers sustained various injuries, some requiring surgery. Drenth was hospitalized for nearly six weeks and spent two days unconscious. He is now recovering at home with his wife, Tricia, and sons Maxwell and Oliver.
A retired Charlevoix educator and administrator, Drenth has coached golf for eight years and previously led the school’s cross country team. He currently serves as the clubhouse manager at the Charlevoix Golf Club.