On Friday night, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame announced its list of inductees for 2021, including former Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh will be recognized for leading the Wolverines to a national championship four decades after he was a star quarterback for the team. He will be honored alongside fellow former Michigan football players Braylon Edwards, Jake Long and Larry Foote, as well as Shawn Respert, Michigan State’s all-time leading scorer in basketball.
In addition to Harbaugh and the former football players, other inductees into the Hall of Fame include ex-Tigers Ivan Rodriguez and Cecil Fielder, former Detroit Shock star Deanna Nolan, and three-time Vezina Trophy winner Tony Esposito, who was a goaltender at Michigan State. Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland, a four-time Stanley Cup winning executive with the Red Wings, was also voted in as a contributor.
The induction ceremony will take place on October 17 at the Sound Board Theater in Detroit. The late Don Shane, sports director at WXYZ-TV for two-plus decades, will be inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame’s media category. Additionally, Earl Cureton, a former Pistons player and Detroit Mercy great who passed away in February will be honored as a Michigan Treasure at the ceremony.
