2017 Hall of Fame Inductee
Sheila Johansson Cohen
Sheila discovered a love of basketball as a sixth grader in her rural Tennessee hometown. Developing her skills in the following years, she entered high school with what would become her signature moves: the fall away jump shot and the drop step from the post. Sheila led her team to win the 1977 Tennessee AAA State Championship and was unanimously selected as the MVP of the tournament. In 1978 she represented the U.S. in basketball at the Pan Am Games in Mexico City, before finishing her high school career as a three-time All American. Sheila played basketball for two years at Vanderbilt University before she was sidelined by a devastating knee injury. Upon graduation, Sheila and her husband, Andy Cohen, relocated to Detroit where she began teaching and coaching. At Cranbrook Schools, coached basketball, served as Associate Athletic Director, and taught middle school and high school mathematics. Sheila, currently teaching sixth grade math in Cranbrook Boys’ Middle School, is recognized for innovative teaching techniques, spearheads anti-bullying programs, and sits on the school’s diversity committee. In 2011 she was presented Cranbrook’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Inducted 2017.
Filed Under: Basketball