Steve Finamore, Okemos High School staff member and Chippewa Middle School coach of 8th grade boys basketball, died Thursday, November 14, 2024. His obituary will be added when published.  

Published November 14, 2024 WLNS-TV 6 by Duncan Phenix

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Okemos School District has confirmed 8th grade boys basketball coach and Okemos High School staff member Steve Finamore died Thursday morning.

At this time, information about what led to his death is not confirmed.

Finamore was currently working at Okemos and had previously been the coach of the East Lansing boys basketball team before resigning at the beginning of 2018.

Finamore coached eight seasons with the East Lansing basketball program leaving with a combined record of 128-44 with two consecutive CAAC Blue Titles.

In an email to parents, Okemos Public School Interim Superintendent Stacy Baily said, “The Okemos Public School family extends its deepest sympathy to Steve’s family, friends, and colleagues.”

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Published November 14, 2024 WILX-TV10

"Legendary High School Coach Steve Finamore Passes Away"

Video footage by WILX-TV10

Published November 14, 2024 Lansing State Journal by Brian Calloway

"Popular Lansing area basketball coach Steve Finamore remembered for impact, passion for game"

Steve Finamore always had an old basketball with him in the back of his car.

He wanted to be prepared in case he encountered a random court that he felt needed to see some action on the way to his destination.

Finamore often told his players that story. It illustrated his love and passion for basketball.

Finamore, who died unexpectedly Thursday at age 60, will be remembered for that love and passion he displayed in the nearly three decades he spent coaching the game in Greater Lansing.

Finamore touched the lives of many while coaching at numerous places in the area. He worked under coach Mike Ingram at Lansing Community College, spent four years at Jackson Community College and had stints as a high school varsity coach at East Lansing, Sexton and Portland. He spent eight years leading East Lansing from 2010-18, going 128-54, including consecutive 20-0 regular seasons.

Finamore had been working the past four seasons in the Okemos school district as the eighth grade boys basketball coach at Chippewa Middle School. He also had worked at Okemos High School since 2020.

"I always knew Steve as just a coach that I was competing against when he was coaching at East Lansing for a long time and didn't really get to know him until he got the job working at Okemos High School," Okemos boys varsity basketball coach Jeff Wonch said. "I really got to understand what he's all about. (He had) good relationships with students and staff. Everyone here loved him. Making him our eighth grade coach was an easy decision and then he just had another huge impact with all his players over the past four years. 

"The kids really love him. We're all hurting today and beginning the healing process. He was just a tremendous guy. He was very genuine and charismatic and he cared about relationships and the kids. We're definitely going to miss him."

From 2016:  East Lansing's Finamore took unlikely road to coaching

Malik Jones was a guard on some of Finamore's successful teams at East Lansing and will always remember his former coach as a hoops junkie who was well known by many in the basketball world beyond Greater Lansing. His connections in coaching included NBA and Division I college coaches.

Before his high school coaching career, Finamore was a student manager for Tom Izzo at Michigan State for a few seasons, including during the Spartans' 2000 national championship season.

"He was a guy that worked for me for awhile and was a phenomenal coach at East Lansing High School and some other places," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told reporters on Thursday afternoon. "... From me, my program, Al Anagonye and a lot of the guys that were around him back in the championship years, I just want to say that I'm sorry to his family, his daughter, and how saddened I am by the news."

Jones said the first thing that came to mind when thinking about Finamore was his passion for basketball.

"We used to always joke around with him and would be like, 'Coach, you have to calm down' because he is getting three or four Starbucks a day and making sure we were ready for practice," Jones said. "He's spending five or six hours studying film just so we can be in the best situation when it came to game time.

"Steve knew everybody and everybody knew Steve. It was always mutual respect when people saw Steve and it wasn't just normal people. Steve was known by high-level guys and guys who have done something."

Scott Martin spent time as an assistant under Finamore at East Lansing and remembers basketball constantly being on his mind. He also said Finamore put passion into everything that he did.

"I don't think there's one local high school he didn't touch somehow if you look at the coaches on the team, assistant coaches and family members, him coaching at the MAC and doing lessons and being the basketball junkie that he was," Martin said. "You knew who he was and he wasn't afraid to talk basketball with anyone.