2002 Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: WRESTLING and COACHING
Parents: Wiley Sr. and Letha Viverette
Wife: Ruby
Daughter: Janeice
Son: Billy
Billy grew up on Edmund Street on Flint’s north side. Billy came from a family of wrestlers. His brother Wiley was in’ducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. His younger and older brothers took first place in their respective weights in the 1961 Flint Olympian Games.
Billy attended Parkland Elementary, Dewey Elementary, Emerson Junior High and graduated from Flint Northern High School.
While at Flint Northern in his sophomore year, he had a record of 22-1. In his junior year he had a 23-1 record and in his senioryear a 26-0-1 record for a total of 71-2-1 in three years. Billy was voted team captain in 1963-1964 and achieved such honors as most valuable wrestler in 1963. He was the most outstanding wrestler in 1964, took a first place at the Lansing Invitational in 1963-64, captured a City Championship in 1963-64 and the Valley Championship in 1964.
After high school, Billy attended Flint Junior College, where he won the Delta College Invitational Championship. From FJC Billy attended Eastern Michigan University, where he had a record of 64-4 and became captain of the wrestling team for the 1968-69 school year.
In 1968, Billy was an AAU Collegiate Champion, placed second at the Midland Invitational and in the 1968-60 season, he was an NCAA qualifier.
Billy’s coaching career began under Francis Bentley at Flint Northern where he served for five years in that position. He became the first Black head wrestling coach at Flint Northern and in the Saginaw Valley.
During his coaching career at Flint Northern, Billy won many championships; Northern Invitational-1976; City Championship-1976; Central Invitational1975; Saginaw Valley- 1976; Regional-1976; District-1976. His career coaching record was 45-5.
Billy is retired from the Flint Community Schools, and resides in the Flint area.
