The Downtown Coaches Club was organized in 1946 by a goup of local businessmen whose primary objective was to encourage and support the athletic programs at MSU and the interscholastic athletic programs for the schools in Lansing, East Lansing and vicinity. It was the same year Clarence "Biggie" Munn took over as head football coach at Michigan State.

The name of the Club was derived from the location of its meetings--- at the Olds Hotel in downtown Lansing. Its first president was Joseph R. Gwinn. The Club held regular luncheon meetings and featured recognition of current season players-of-the-week, culminating in the spring with an all-sports banquet at which special awards were presented to outstanding players and teams participating in six different sports.

As local sports programs were expanded in the 1960s, it became difficult for the Club to maintain its wide range of interests, so its focus changed to supporting only football programs in the community. In 1986, the NCAA ruled that awards to high school athletes were "improper inducements," making it impossible to reward local talent as stipulated in the Club's original objectives. The By-laws were amended, and the Downtown Coaches Club became the "Official Booster Club for MSU Football."

To this day, the primary purpose of the Club remains to support the head coach, coaching staff and the entire football program at MSU.

The Downtown Coaches Club presents annual awards to the Players of the Year who demonstrated team leadership and had the most significant performances as selected by the team's coaching staff. Additionally, the Club presents the Spartan Spirit Award and Vandervoort Memorial annually for outstanding support through ethical means to MSU and community sports programs.

The Club's commitment to excellence in education for the Michigan State student-athlete is exemplified by its annual donations to the Ralph Young Fund through which audio-visual improvements have been made in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center. Through the years the Club has donated more than $500,000 to the Ralph Young Fund and is the leading individual contributor to the fund.

Additionally, the sale of 50/50 raffle tickets at each home football game allows the Club to assist the fund-raising efforts of the non-revenue producing sports programs at MSU and annual contributions to the MSU Spartan Marching Band.

Through its excellence in education program, the Club also provides home game tickets to elementary students in the mid-Michigan area who demonstrate academic achievement and a commitment to community involvement.