Michael “Coach Mike” Harrington was born on July 19, 1961, and departed this life at the age of 54 after a brief fight with cancer on July 20, 2015, at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington.

Coach Mike has always possessed a sincere passion and love for sports and athletics. During high school, he was well-known as a dedicated basketball and football player. In 1980, he graduated with a full scholarship to Grambling State University for football, where he maintained a profound love for the sport and for three years successfully earned his respect on and off the field. In the late 1980s, resulting from a motorcycle accident, Coach Mike devoted his time, effort and energy into organizing the Sunset Tigers as a part of the Bogalusa Little League. This passion grew into a greater love that led him into faithfully and freely dedicating his coaching and mentoring abilities to the lives of many young boys and girls in the community, taking them off the streets and onto the fields. For more than 30 years, he focused his attention on children and strived to make a positive change in every life that he came in contact with. In 2005, he helped organize the Bogalusa Football League. This kept his focus alive as he positively offered constructive discipline and workmanship in his role as father figure, mentor and teacher — spreading unconditional love and positively influencing the lives of many both within and outside of the community.

Everything Coach Mike spoke or gave was from his heart. Aside from coaching, he was a remarkable family man and a well-experienced cook, mechanic, carpenter, plumber, chauffer, nurse, disciplinarian and mentor. He was always humble, reliable and enthusiastic when it came to giving — always willing to offer the best of himself to the lives he came in contact with. He was passionate about his family, sports and bringing joy to others. His spirit will forever be remembered in each and every life that he touched.

He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted and loving wife, Hazel Harrington; his eight children, Tamatha (Patrick) Robinson-Wilson, Marquitta (John) Robinson-Wilson, Willie Robinson III, Danielle (John) Brice, Brodrick Robinson, Emberly (Darius Whittine) Robinson, Kimberly Robinson and Damion (Chiquita Pittman); a granddaughter who he reared, Ravin Robinson; 28 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild, all who he loved unconditionally. He also leaves in mourning two sisters, Kimberly McClendon and Katherine (Johnny) Weary; one brother, Andrew Harrington; one special uncle, Willie (Beris) McCray; one aunt, Josephine McCray; an aunt-in-law, Rose Magee; and special people in his life, Willie (Bennie) Murphy.

Coach Mike was a great man who was known by many and leaves many treasured memories to his nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, special friends, youth of the community and all those whose lives he has touched.

He was preceded in death by his mother Curtis Harrington; his father Andrew Harrington Sr.; his brother, Gerald Harrington; and an aunt, Shirley Freeman.

Visitation will be held Friday, July 24, 2015, at Cook-Richmond Funeral Home in Bogalusa from 2 to 5 p.m. A memorial service will follow at the Avenue U baseball field from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 25, 2015, at 1 p.m. at Bogalusa High School auditorium. Supt. Leslie Fields will officiate.