Small School, Big Difference: Granberry Thrived On and Off the Court at Hillsdale College

Written by Doug Goodnough

Smaller is better. For someone who stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall, that statement seems a bit ironic. But for Bill Granberry, ’85, the former standout Hillsdale College men’s basketball player, the small-school environment Hillsdale offered made all the difference both during his time on campus and even after graduation.

“Hillsdale College was not only about the education and getting the degree,” said Granberry, who was a former all-conference and NAIA All-District 23 performer for the Chargers. “You know these are your teammates, but it turns into a family. Our families were like extensions of those teams. All the parents traveled together and sat together during games.”

As a lanky forward/center from Toledo, Ohio, Granberry was a member of some of the most successful teams in program history. The Chargers won NAIA District 23 titles in 1983-84 and 1984-85, earning berths in the national tournament. Granberry, who struggled to gain weight during his college career, was still formidable under the basket. He finished his Hillsdale career second in blocked shots (176), third in rebounds (1,135) and tenth in points (1,525). He was named an honorable mention NAIA All-American during his senior season and spent two years playing professionally in Argentina after graduation.

He said upsetting powerhouse Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Wayne State on its home court was a great memory.

“It was just a completely awesome team performance,” Granberry said. “We had guys from every position who stepped up and played big, and we came out of there with a huge win.”

“One of the reasons I went to Hillsdale was because the coach at the time of my freshman year, Bill Morse, was well known as one of the best defensive coaches in the country,” said Granberry, who was recently inducted into his high school hall of fame. “And coming in from high school, I had a similar coach, so it was kind of a natural fit. I had the ability to move quicker than most big guys. So that was something that I was always able to capitalize on—to outmaneuver them both offensively and defensively.”

A business and marketing major at Hillsdale, he said the personal touch of faculty such as Dr. Febes Facey, Dr. Robert Blackstock, and Georgia Saemann allowed him to succeed in the classroom.

“When I was struggling in accounting, Dr. Facey invited me and another player to her house,” Granberry said. “She said to come over for lunch, and it actually turned into a tutoring session right at her dining room table. We sat there for two hours going over things that we needed to understand. And the same thing with Dr. Blackstock. They readily took extra time individually to provide the necessary help to ensure that we were successful.”

That success translated to his personal and professional life. After ending his professional basketball career in Argentina, he and his wife, Pam (Roberts), ’85, settled in the Chicago area. Originally running operations for then-Kinko’s, FedEx eventually bought Kinko’s and he was managing a few FedEx Office stores in the Chicago area. He also served as a district sales manager and currently serves as a senior customer solutions analyst for the company.

“It’s basically consulting with our largest companies in trying to implement complex programs and doing it from a national and sometimes global scale,” he said of his current role.

He and Pam have two grown children, a son and a daughter. The family is involved in charity work, including Habitat for Humanity. And Granberry’s efforts with the Ronald McDonald House organization eventually led to FedEx becoming a corporate partner with the charity.

“We have a pretty big team of people that we can pull from on a regular basis to go and work at different houses,” he said of the efforts with the Ronald McDonald House charity.

At age 61, Granberry is still on the basketball court. Almost every Sunday, he is playing pickup basketball with a group of local friends.

“Imagine running up and down a college-sized court with some 20- and 30-year-olds,” he said. “The hops aren’t quite what they used to be.”

Granberry said he still follows the Chargers and tries to make it back occasionally for the alumni game. Between the friendships and the successes on the court, he said he remembers his Hillsdale career fondly.

Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

Published in November 2024