Donald Michelin Sr. (SESP ’73) goes by many names. In his 72 years living on Hartrey Avenue, students have known him as Mr. Michelin, high school runners call him “coach” and Evanston Township High School Athletic Director Chris Livatino considers him “the spirit of Evanston.”

Evanston native Michelin is no ordinary high school coach. He drives students to school when they need transportation, picks up trash in his neighborhood several mornings each week and serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Board.

“I’m just a guy who has tried to do his part to move the city forward by doing little stuff,” Michelin said.

Like his athletes today, Michelin himself has a storied legacy of speed, being a graduate of ETHS himself. He earned the nickname “Flash” as a star track athlete at ETHS in the late 1960s.

After graduating from Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, Michelin began teaching physical education at Haven Middle School in 1973. Then, he became an assistant track coach for ETHS in 1981, before becoming the head boys’ cross country coach in 1985 — a position he held until 2003.

Following a 10-year stint as Haven’s assistant principal from 1993-2003, Michelin retired as principal of Haven in 2006, returning to ETHS’ boys’ track program in 2007 and the boys’ cross country program in 2009 as head coach. He led the cross country team until 2017, when he passed the baton to his son, Donald Michelin Jr. Today, Michelin Sr. remains the head track coach and an assistant cross country coach under his son.

Michelin Sr. was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.

On Oct. 14, Evanston City Council voted to rename a portion of Hartrey Avenue as “Donald Michelin, Sr. Way.” The initiative was spearheaded by Michelin Sr.’s daughter and former 9th Ward councilmember Cicely Fleming, his niece.

Honoring Michelin Sr. at the meeting was 6th Ward resident Roberta Holzmueller, who recounted how Michelin Sr. included her son, who has cerebral palsy, on the cross country team, and later thanked her for the opportunity to coach him.

“He taught me the human spirit,” Michelin Sr. said. “The human spirit can overcome, and he overcame.”

Above all else, Michelin Sr. loves cross country and track because they are “hard work sports,” meaning that anybody can be successful if they work hard enough, he said.

When a new class of runners began practicing at ETHS last year, senior hurdler Ryan Rice said Michelin appeared “imposing” to the younger athletes. Rice recounted how Michelin Sr. connected with the new athletes by making a joke.

“We had this meeting, and before the meeting, we were all sitting there preparing, and the girls are already practicing,” Rice said. “One of them runs by, and he goes, ‘Vroom,’ and everyone starts laughing. The meet before, we did that to a couple of our athletes while they were running, and we felt like he was gonna be mad. But no, he found it amusing.”

Rice added that Michelin Sr. inspires him to strive for excellence on and off the field, and even mentors him through the college application process. Ryan said he admires Michelin’s passion for helping young athletes and said he “leads by example.”

Even when he isn’t coaching, Michelin Sr. is helping his athletes succeed, Livatino, who is also from Evanston, said. Michelin can often be found around ETHS sitting in on his athletes’ classes to motivate them, helping them rehabilitate from injuries and crafting new strategies to coach his team.

“He tries to do what is best for the kids in Evanston in an effort to make Evanston a better and stronger community for everyone,” Livatino said.

Under Michelin Sr.’s guidance, the boys’ Wildkits track team has won 10 conference championships, placed second at the state championships in 2015 and sent multiple athletes and relay teams to win state championships.

Despite all his success in his 51-year career, Michelin Sr. said he remains motivated by seeing his athletes achieve their personal goals — always striving for excellence.

“Be the best you can be in everything you do,” Michelin Sr. said. “Don’t be a lousy guy because you can be, be a great guy because you can be.”

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