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Education is a big issue in northern Michigan, whether we're reporting on school funding issues to breakthroughs in the classroom.

Traverse City West basketball coach dies suddenly

Photo courtesy of Gary D. Smith at Picture This.

The varsity girls basketball coach at Traverse City West High School has died, school officials confirmed on Wednesday. 

Mike Wilde coached a variety of sports in Traverse City Area Public Schools for more than 30 years, including basketball, baseball and football.

 

Jason Carmien, the athletic director at Traverse City West High School, says Wilde was a talented coach who loved to teach. 

“He was an intense person who loved competition,” Carmien says. “But I’ll remember him as that guy who just went to practice every day wanting to be a good teacher of the game. And that’s what I respected most from Mike.” 

Carmien says he does not know the cause of death. 

Traverse City West canceled Wednesday’s basketball games.

“Wins and losses were important,” Carmien says, “but what Mike really loved the most was teaching kids those life lessons that only sports can do. And Mike was really good at it.”