A graduate of Manistique High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Harry Potter pursued a college career at Western Michigan University (then called Western State Normal). In the mid-1920s Harry was a three-sport star at Western in football, basketball and baseball (his favorite sport). His teammates at Western included future Muskegon-area coaches C. Leo Redmond and Oscar “Okie” Johnson. Redmond had signed on as football coach at Muskegon High School and persuaded Potter, his college teammate, to come to Muskegon as an assistant coach in 1927.

Between 1927 and 1942, Potter handled the football and basketball second-team coaching duties at Muskegon High School, compiling an 84-14-3 mark on the gridiron and a 154-62 record on the cage court. In 1943, he moved up to the varsity basketball position, posting a 36-26 record in three seasons, before succeeding Redmond as head coach of the Big Red football squad in 1947. His 1951 team, under the direction of quarterback Earl Morrall, went undefeated and was named Class A state champions. Potter guided the Big Reds to a 57-24-8 mark and three Southwestern Conference crowns in his 10 years at the helm.

But possibly Potter’s proudest personal achievement at Muskegon was the establishment of a baseball program in 1937 to represent the Port City in Southwest Conference competition. He coached the Big Red baseball team for 30 years, including a then-record streak of 55 consecutive victories between 1941 and 1945. Potter remained as athletic director at Muskegon until his retirement in 1966.