Detroit Catholic Central High School

BIOGRAPHY

TOM MACH

Thomas (Tom) Mach was born in Detroit, Michigan, attended high school at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit as he entertained thoughts of going into the priesthood. After high school Tom moved on to Wayne State University (WSU) where he earned a degree in Sociology. Tom also played football at Wayne where he gained the reputation as a tough hitter earning the nickname "Crack". After serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, Tom started his football coaching career as an Assistant Coach under Dick Comar at Southgate Aquinas.

In 1976 he interviewed for the head coaching position at Detroit Catholic Central (CC). Athletic Director Robert Santello recalls that Tom was an assistant coach in a field of prominent head coaches. "Tom was very professional and stood out by being extremely well prepared" - soon to be a trademark of his teams. Over the next 41 years Tom established a powerhouse and led the Shamrocks to unprecedented heights, winning 370 games and 10 state championships along with sending a few hundred student-athletes on to college success. Tom Mach's win total ranks him third all-time in the State of Michigan. 

Tom Mach was inducted into the Detroit Catholic League Hall of Fame, the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and, in 2014, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Over his career, he earned multiple Coach of the Year honors, including the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Year. Coach Mach was Mick McCabe's choice as the Best Catholic High School League (CHSL) Football Coach of all time. Coach Mach led Catholic Central to more state championship appearances (17) than any other coach, earning 10 state titles, the last one coming in 2009. He was the first Division I coach to "threepeat" the state title. Along the way, his teams won 12 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) District titles, 20 MHSAA Regional titles, 21 CHSL Division titles, and 17 CHSL titles. 

Coach Mach stated: "I want to be remembered for doing a good, honest job as a football coach, for developing our players to the maximum and doing things the right way, teaching them things that I think they should know as far as life is concerned. We've had a lot of great teams, but I think our MO was the fact we were overachievers. Our kids worked tremendously hard to get where they got. We always preached about giving it our best shot and I'm proud of the program, proud of how we played. We played a smash-mouth, physical style and you can wn football games that way because the kids believe in each other." 

Tom Mach was one of the greatest coaches in high school football. He made an extraordinarily positive impact on the game and so many lives. He was remarkable teacher of "Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge" and an outstanding mentor who, for decades, inspired excellence and exemplified integrity and humility. Catholic Central was blessed to have him and is proud to honor him in the Catholic Central Athletic Hall of Fame.