OAKRIDGE – 11 district titles, six regional titles, six-time state semi-finalist, Division 5 state runner-up, and three-time state champion are just a few of the accomplishments Oakridge Hall of Famer Cary Harger gets to leave behind in the trophy case as both an assistant and head coach.
Harger just completed his 14th season as head coach and 30th season overall at Oakridge, which eventually ended with a loss to Division 5 powerhouse West Catholic. The Eagles finished the season 4-6 and 5th in the WMC Lakes. After the season Harger announced that he would be retiring which closed the door on an historic 30-year run.
“This year was my 30th year coaching at Oakridge and my 30th as a classroom teacher. I always thought that 30 years was a career. So, as that milestone approached, I decided it was time to move on from education into something new.” Harger shares part of his decision to retire.
Harger’s roots began in Oakridge as he graduated from the school in 1990. He attended Hope and played football at the college from 1990-1993.
“It has been an awesome experience transitioning from an Oakridge student-athlete, coming back as a young teacher and assistant coach, to eventually becoming the head coach.” Harger said
Harger started his coaching career at Grand Haven before heading north to Muskegon where he found his home with the Eagles. He would join the staff under another legend Jack Schugars as an assistant. Harger coached offensive and defensive lines as well as coordinate special teams.
Schugars retired in 2010 and would essentially hand the keys over to Harger for the 2011 season.
Oakridge knew they found its guy when Harger led the Eagles to a 9-2 season which included a playoff win in his first season at the helm. In his 14 seasons as head coach, Harger only had one losing season (2024). Four double-digit win seasons, five 9-win seasons, and 16 playoff wins represent how much of a winner he was.
Harger has a plethora of well-known awards as well. In 2018, Harger was named MLive All-Area Coach of the Year. In both 2013 and 2019, he was named MHSFCA Regional Coach of the Year. He boasts a career 278-73 record in the 29 years of coaching. His career record as a head coach finishes at 119-36. Before Harger’s retirement, he was the longest-tenured coach in the WMC Lakes.
During Harger’s career, there was a period of time when his children were students at Oakridge. Harger reminisced about one of his favorite times while being a coach for the Eagles. “The best isn’t a single event, but rather a period of time when I coached my son, Cole, and my daughter, Alivia, was doing color guard for the band and then cheering loud in the student section.”
Harger made an impressive impact on Oakridge football, and he has surely left behind a prized legacy.
Looking forward, the Oakridge athletic department now seeks new leadership after having Schugars and Harger come through the program and build it into a division 5 powerhouse.
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