Edsel Ford High School will recognize and honor former counselor and coach Ibrahim “Juice” Baydoun during a special dedication ceremony on Dec. 4, 2026 at Edsel Ford High School.
The ceremony will be held that evening before the Edsel Ford varsity boys basketball game against Fordson High.
“Mr. Baydoun meant so much to so many in our school community,” said Edsel Ford Principal Rima Hassan. “He was the counselor/coach you leaned on, the one that didn’t wait until the next day to meet with you, and he made sure you knew that you mattered. Mr. Baydoun was dedicated to his students and approached each with care and compassion. Leading with heart is the legacy he leaves behind.”
Mr. Baydoun worked as a counselor at Edsel Ford High School for 34 years and served as the head coach of the boys basketball program for most of that time. In his youth, he starred on the Fordson High School basketball team. He went on to play at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he was later inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
He suffered a heart attack two weeks before passing away on Feb. 21. 2025. He was 60 years old.
On Dec. 4, the gym will be dedicated to Mr. Baydoun with his name along the side of the court. The hallway outside the counseling office will also have a plaque and a quote from Mr. Baydoun as a reminder of the hundreds of students he advised and encouraged over the decades.
As a committee looked at ways to honor Mr. Baydoun, the group heard of other notable figures from Thunderbirds athletics who deserved to be honored. Inside the gym will be a mural with notable athletes and coaches throughout the history of Edsel Ford High School. The mural is only a beginning and more names and figures are expected to be added over the years.
Deputy Superintendent Lamis Srour assisted the committee that formed to look at how to honor Mr. Baydoun.
“Mr. Baydoun was a wonderful individual who spent his life dedicated to the district’s students. That shows in the many stories and encounters others recall when they talk about Mr. Baydoun,” Ms. Srour said. “We are proud to be able to honor him with this event and hope the community will come out to help us remember him.”