Back in 1978 pop music and R&B legend Lionel Ritchie had a hit ballad called "Three Times a Lady." Well, here in Oakland County these days we have ourselves "Four Times a Man" in hoops coaching legend Bill Norton. This past weekend, Norton, whose legendary prep coaching career in the county spanned five decades (1964-2005), was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame, giving him a total of four hall of fame enshrinements for his mantelpiece.

Last fall, Norton was inducted into the Birmingham Brother Rice Sports Hall of Fame. Previously, he was elected to the Michigan Catholic High School League Hall of Fame and the University of Detroit-Jesuit Athletic Hall of Fame.

Norton arrived on the county cage scene in 1964 as head coach of the Brother Rice varsity hoops squad. Between 1964 and 1981, he led the Warriors to one Class A state title (1975) and advanced them into another state championship game - in 1977, losing in OT to none other than Magic Johnson and his Lansing Everett team.

In 1981, he left briefly to take an assistant coaching job at Michigan State. A year later in the fall of 1982, he returned to Rice and headed the program for another 13 years until stepping down in 1996. His career at Rice represents the glory era of Warriors basketball. In a combined 21 years coaching at the school, Norton compiled a 328-148 overall record, including the '75 state championship, a dozen district titles, six regionals, and three CHSL crowns.

Upon leaving Rice, Norton continued his successful ways across town at Birmingham Groves, putting together a 119-63 overall record guiding the Falcons to three league titles and two district titles in nine years (1996-2005) at the helm.

The famous basketball coach finds himself in the UofD Hall for a different athletic endeavor of his. As a college gridiron gladiator, Norton was a member of the 1962 Titans football team.

Throughout his tenure on the sidelines, Norton has received the opportunity to coach some pretty unbelievable talent

Here are some of the better players he molded as youngsters:

B.J. Armstrong

Tim Andree

Kevin Smith

Brian Brennan

John Shasky

David Washington

 

Paul Grant

Giordan Watson

 

Paul Joskish