EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University has had many great coaches. Jim Bibbs, the university's first Black head coach, is one of them.
During his tenure, the Spartans earned two world records, 52 Big Ten titles and All-American honors 26 times.
His first love was baseball, but when he got to Eastern Michigan University, there was no freshmen baseball team. So he looked to track, igniting a passion that would last for the rest of his life.
Bibbs coached track in his hometown of Ecorse, leading his team to back to back titles in 1996 and 1997.
"There's so many little things can happen that can change your whole life," said Bibbs.
When MSU Athletic Director Biggie Munn called him and asked if he would coach the track team, he was shocked.
"I kinda hesitated a little bit because I love Ecorse, that’s my home. I was born in Ecorse, raised in Ecorse, and when I got the job coaching at Ecorse High, I though that was my destination job," he said.
After consideration and motivation from the people around him, he took the offer.
During his time at MSU, he coached top sprinters like Herb Washington and Marshall Dill, also members of the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame.
"Being the first Black head coach at Michigan State, I think is powerful. Because he paved the way for many other coaches of color to follow," said his son, Andy Wells.
Wells noted that his father endured racial challenges, but it wasn't anything the coach couldn't handle.
“Just having Black skin, I never looked at it as a handicap. I do what I got to do and I’m going to try to do the best I can do," Bibbs said.
Bibbs was a coach on and off the track, always encouraging his team to run fast and work even harder in class.
He didn't view race as a burden.
"My burden was trying to do the best I could team-wise, individual-wise, to try to make those young men and girls successful on the track and at the same time teach them how to grow up and be good people," he said.
Bibbs is the longest-tenured track and field coach in program history, coaching from 1968 to 1995.
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