CHEBOYGAN — Twenty-nine years is a long time in any line of work.
Since Jason Friday began working at Cheboygan High School, he’s experienced a whole lot of things.
From teaching math, social studies and other subjects, to serving numerous years as a coach in multiple sports, and leading as the high school’s athletic director for several years, Friday has seen a lot.
But after nearly 30 years with Cheboygan, the 1992 graduate knows it’s time for a change.
Friday, who’s been a key figure at the high school for so long, is excited for what lies ahead after retiring from teaching and soon as an athletic director once the last event in Cheboygan concludes.
“It’s more of a celebration,” Friday said. “I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to do something different. I’m really looking forward to spending more time at home with Melissa (Goodrich). There’s a lot of 16-hour days in this job, and I know that comes with the job, but eventually, you just get worn down, and you’ve just got to do something else.”
On Friday’s first day of teaching, Cheboygan Intermediate School just opened in the 1990s, while his coaching career eventually got underway, as he started out with Cheboygan B-team boys basketball.
Along with former Cheboygan coach and great friend Jason Purcell, the two Jasons guided the Cheboygan girls on back-to-back trips to the Breslin Center in 2005 and 2006.
In 2020, Friday finally got his opportunity to coach the Cheboygan varsity boys, helping lead the Chiefs to a district title in 2026 – one that ended an elite 11-year championship drought.
Over 20 years of coaching in the books, something he’s had fun with most of the way.
“You just love the sport, and you want to hang on, just because you love the sport,” Friday said. “As you get going, you realize that the interactions with other people, with kids, and how much fun that is.”
As impactful as he’s been coaching different teams, Friday has also experienced the chaos of the athletic director’s role, helping navigate the school through a tumultuous 2020 Covid-19 year, and even speaking in front of Congress in Lansing. From Covid to last year’s ice storm and this year’s near-scare with the Cheboygan dam, Friday has been there to do his part and help keep things under control.
“Covid was wild because we had like three different startups that the state gave us, where we would start, and it was a mad dash to get everything scheduled, referees and everything like that, and we cancelled everything, and the state said it was off, and then it was on, and then it was a mad dash to schedule as many games as you could, get referees, and it was so chaotic,” Friday said. “I remember thinking after Covid that if I could survive Covid, I could survive anything in this job.”
Having Friday at the helm has certainly paid dividends for Cheboygan Area Schools, as he’s done his part in getting the school to name the Western Avenue Field press box after longtime WCBY broadcaster Mike Grisdale in 2024, and most recently having Cheboygan’s high school basketball court named after Scott Hancock, who’s coached for over 50 years. In addition, there’s been numerous upgrades to Cheboygan’s facilities, including their basketball court, seating, and the locker rooms, as well as a much-improved exercise facility upstairs.
Friday is also proud of the fact that the Cheboygan football program had the unique opportunity of playing multiple games at CMU’s Kelly/Shorts Stadium in recent years, as well as both varsity basketball teams taking on Inland Lakes at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in 2023.
“We have roughly 350-375 events during the year, and we’ve had a number of volunteers help us in a variety of ways. None of those things could ever happen without our volunteers, Friday said. “We are so thankful for everything they’ve done for our school.”
To make everything work, Friday hasn’t been able to do it all alone. In fact, he made sure to credit several colleagues who made it worthwhile for him throughout the long journey.
“Students, referees, faculty, and other athletic directors – they’ve all been wonderful,” Friday said. “As you stick around, like a lot of your friends, they retire. I’ve worked with some wonderful people. Obviously, (Cheboygan High School principals) Marty (Mix) and Ben Wilson are fantastic. I’ve been lucky for the last seven years to have the same secretary, Lisa Gibbons. She’s been great. I’ve had a chance to work with Jason Purcell and Paul Clark, and Scott Kelley. Scott did so much for our school and still shows up to games. Kevin Baller has done so much. Dave Schulz has always been a great person to work with. The custodians and volunteers.”
With everything he’s been a part of, Friday is ready to be stress-free, play some golf, spend time with family, and perhaps even coach at a lower level or referee. At high school games, you won’t see Coach Friday. You’ll see a guy enjoying a game he loves, then leaving at his own convenience.
Was this long experience all worth it for Friday?
You bet it was.
“It’s been a pretty special 29 years,” Friday said. “The interaction with the kids is a lot of fun, especially in sports when they achieve something that was unexpected, or even if it was expected. I’m going to miss the fun that you have with the kids and the staff. The staff that we have at the high school office right now is a lot of fun. Seeing the kids succeed, that’s what we’re here for, and that’s something I’ll truly miss.”
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Jason Friday reflects on 29 years of work at Cheboygan High School
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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