Former head coach for the Flying Dutchmen of Hope College, Russ DeVette was a football and basketball star at Muskegon High School in the late 1930s. After earning letters at Hope College in basketball, football, baseball and track, DeVette attended the University of Michigan for a master’s degree in physical education.
Basketball MVP as a senior in 1947, DeVette returned to Hope in the fall of 1948 as head basketball coach, leading the Dutchmen to nine Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association crowns and one NCAA regional title in 24 years at the helm. His squads posted a 329-221 record over that span. In 1955, DeVette took on the head coaching duties of the Dutchmen football and baseball squads. He notched a 62-64-1 mark and two MIAA titles in 15 years on the gridiron. His women’s track teams won two MIAA titles.
In 1957, he was named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. DeVette retired from Hope College in 1988.