Hall of Fame
Wyman, a native of Detroit and graduate of Detroit Redford HS, was a four-year letterman and two-way starter in football. On the offense Wyman played at center and defensively he played at end and linebacker. Wyman lettered the 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950 seasons.
In 1950, his senior year, Wyman co-captained the squad with Charles Milo. Defensive statistics were not kept during Wyman's career. He was the team's MVP and Most Outstanding Lineman that season, and was among the Detroit Collegian's Best Athletes-of-the-Year in 1950-51. In Wayne's third game, versus Western Illinois, Wyman was named Associated Press Lineman-of-the-Week. In the spring practices leading up to his senior year Wyman received the Tartars' Most Improved Player award.
Wyman's Wayne career might never have happened if it hadn't been for his freshman high school coach, Herbert L. Smith. Wyman began his high school career at Detroit Cooley, playing football for two seasons before transferring to Detroit Redford. Smith coached the 1940 Cooley team that won the city championship and Goodfellow game with Wyman as a member. After that season Smith left Cooley to serve in the military.
While at Detroit Redford Wyman played football, basketball and baseball, earning Detroit Free Press All-City honors in football his senior year. An early graduate, Wyman enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 1944. He also served as a radio operator in the Pacific theater until July 1946.
Upon discharge Wyman enrolled at Western Michigan. During his first semester his father died, forcing him to return home to find work. One day, Wyman was en route to work when he chanced upon Smith on a bus. After Smith inquired what his former prep player was doing, he told Wyman to report to the Wayne football office the following week for practice, and the rest is history.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor's in Education in 1951 Wyman joined Wayne's physical education staff as a teacher and assistant football coach. After the 1952 season he left Wayne for the prep ranks.
From 1952-62 he served as a head football, track, and baseball coach at Northeastern, Chadsey and Henry Ford high schools in Detroit. In 1960 Wyman was named Detroit Free Press Boys' Football Coach-of-the-Year while at Henry Ford. Also in 1960 Wyman received a Master's in Education from Wayne.
In 1963 Wyman jumped to the collegiate ranks, starting as offensive line coach at Ball State. In 1964 he began a long association with Western Michigan as a football coach and faculty member. In his first nine years at Western Michigan he was offensive line coach, and in 1973-74 he was the offensive coordinator. The Broncos won the 1966 Mid-American Conference title.
Wyman also taught on the school's health and physical education staff, retiring in 1990 as an associate professor. Wyman holds emeritus professor status at WSU.
After leaving Western Michigan's football staff in 1974 he was head football coach at Kalamazoo Christian High School from 1978-85. In 1978 he was named Coach-of-the-Year by the Kalamazoo Gazette. In 1987 Wyman was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) Hall of Fame. In 1988 he was an assistant coach in the MHSFCA Football All-Star East/West game, and in 1990 earned the association's Jim Crowley Coach-of-the-Year Award.
Wyman and his wife, Corrine, reside in Kalamazoo. They are parents of daughters Corrine and Marsha, son Kurt, and five grandchildren.
