North Adams, Michigan George T. Cook, the coach who built and defined two of North Adams’ most enduring programs, died peacefully at home on December 16, 2025. He was 82.
Cook’s name is woven through local sports history. A 1966 Hillsdale College graduate who played both football and baseball, he arrived in North Adams in 1976 to teach math and quickly turned his attention to coaching.
Under his leadership, the softball teams won 18 league titles and 12 district crowns; Cook was named District Coach of the Year 12 times.
In 1977, he founded the North Adams High School girls’ softball program and remained its head coach until 2020.
He also spent 40 years with the Rams football program, including a stretch from 2000 to 2015 as an assistant coach alongside his son Bryan.
Players and parents remember Cook for fundamentals, discipline, and results. He expected a work ethic and delivered structure; his teams were prepared, well coached and consistent winners.
On game days you could find him in his usual spot, standing at the bottom of the bleachers, whistle in hand, ready to push his players and celebrate their wins. As one local put it, “He’ll always be at the bottom of the bleachers cheering you on.”
Hundreds of Tributes Pour in for Such an Influential Figure
Beyond the scoreboards, Cook’s influence was classroom first. He taught high-school math for decades and had a reputation for making difficult concepts clear and approachable.
Even after he officially retired, he continued teaching part-time and subbing when the school needed him because, as many students recall, he liked to keep teaching.
“He was a great teacher, mentor and just a plain bad ass,” wrote Adam Goodwin in an online tribute.
Cook’s roots began in Detroit, where he was born George Theodore Coukoulis on January 8, 1943.
His family later shortened the name to Cook. He graduated from Cody High School in 1961, played for Hillsdale College, serving both as a quarterback and lineman on the football team and as a catcher in baseball, and was a member of Delta Tau Delta.
He met his first wife, Lorena, while at Hillsdale; after raising a family and moving back to the area, he settled into the North Adams community that would define his life and legacy.
Family always came first. Cook is survived by his wife of nearly 20 years, Cinthia “Tash” Cook, and four children: Michelle Smith, T.G. Cook, Bryan Cook, and Melynda Cook Howard.
His granddaughter Gracie captured the personal side of the man many knew only as coach or teacher:
“He was the toughest, smartest, and wittiest guy around… he never failed to tell you how proud he was of you. He never missed a sporting event; you could always find him standing in the corner of the gym. That was his spot.”
Community responses echoed that sentiment; one wrote, “he was truly the sweetest man,” while another remembered, “I can hear his whistle piercing through the air.”
Cook was active off the field as well, serving in leadership roles with the North Adams Lions Club and the North Adams-Jerome Athletic Booster Club and turning up to sell tickets or work fundraisers whenever needed.
His presence in school halls, on practice fields, and at community events made him a constant in North Adams’ life for generations.
Many former friends and students have also shared memories with Cook. Destiny Joice wrote,
“George and my dad (Scott Baker) played slow pitch softball together. The 3am games at softball village on Sunday morning, George standing on the pitchers mound singing at the top of his lungs “Amen, Amen”. There was never a dull moment with all of those guys and usually George was in the lead of the whole pack.
Daniel Laws added, “Always enjoyed officiating North Adams softball when George was coaching. Sorry for the family’s loss. prayers to family and loved ones.”
Jerry Slade noted, “So many decades of friendship and 100’s of great memories! George was one of a kind. RIP, my friend.”
A public celebration of George T. Cook’s life will be held Monday, December 22, 2025, at North Adams High School, 4555 Knowles Road. Visitation is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m.
On the other hand, with the service beginning at 6 p.m. A light meal will follow. Services are being handled by Hampton Funeral Homes.
Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to the North Adams Lions Club, the North Adams-Jerome Athletic Boosters Club, or the Greater Hillsdale Humane Society.
