UCS, Stevenson honor Rick Bye

STERLING HEIGHTS — For a noon weekday ceremony honoring a high school football coach, it’s difficult to picture what type of audience will show up. Unless that ceremony is for Sterling Heights Stevenson’s Rick Bye, because his impact is immeasurable through not just Stevenson but Utica Schools Community.

“When you really think about a sense of community, where can you see a noontime dedication with this type of turnout with people coming out to see coach (Rick) Bye,” Utica Community Schools Superintendent Robert Monroe said. “It’s simply a special day that I think all of us are going to cherish, and I know coach Bye will certainly cherish.”

Faculty members, former players and coaches, and family all gathered at the newly named Rick Bye Fieldhouse Dec. 19 at Stevenson High School as UCS and Stevenson honored Bye.

Former players played catchup as they reminisced about their seasons as teammates and talked about their current life, and only Bye could bring everyone together in one room.

As Bye took the stage after receiving a plaque in his honor, his opening statement wasn’t a surprise to anyone who knows him well.

“I’m overwhelmed, and I can tell you why there’s so many people here: because most of my friends don’t work,” Bye said to the audience. “They’re up by 10 and got their pajamas on by 6.”

Bye made sure to give thanks to every faculty member, superintendent, teacher and principal who helped him throughout his decades at Stevenson, and he shared a special thanks to his longtime assistant coaches — Jerry Lajeunesse, Ken Fiott, Joe Emanuele and Ron Kerr.

Lajeunesse, Fiott and Kerr were part of Bye’s staff through the entirety of his tenure and remain close friends today.

Current Stevenson coach Justin Newcomb took the podium and spoke on how instrumental Bye has been for the football program even years after retiring, especially when it comes to the players.

“I can remember a few years back (2019) when we had just beaten Cass Tech in a playoff game (regional finals), and he came back to practice the next day with football beanie caps for each player,” Newcomb said. “Giving back his own time and his own money to get that done is just credible to the man that he is.”

Bye always put his players first, and the crowd of former players in attendance told the story of a coach who impacted numerous lives, including 2010 graduate Jason Fracassa.

Bye gave a shoutout to Fracassa, his starting quarterback who led Stevenson to a state finals runner-up spot in 2009, during his speech, and Fracassa had plenty to say about his former coach.

“He was unbelievable,” Fracassa said. “He was about as close to a father as you could be, and not just to me but all my teammates. He was unbelievable. He definitely had the most impact on my life out of anybody I can remember.”

The ceremony also showcased Stevenson’s future plans for the fieldhouse as the school plans to implement state-of-the-art equipment for its athletic programs and a full revamp of the floor space.

It will be a new-look fieldhouse, and being named after a legendary coach is a great start to the fieldhouse’s legacy.

“Here we are almost 50 years later in this beautiful facility, and I’m so proud to have my name attached to it,” Bye said.