Bo Schembechler (National Championships = 0)

[LoKyBuckeye]

My Dad told m a great story about Bo today... he was at Miami when Bo coached there and took one of his coaching classes... one his one of his players fell asleep in the class and Bo woke him up by picking him up by the neck I could see Woody doing the same... RIP Coach.

 

[BB73]

I was proud of the way that tOSU and the fans in the 'Shoe handled the tribute to Bo just before The Game on Saturday.

It was very respectful. The TSUN team and band were booed every time they came onto or left the field, but I didn't hear any boos during the scoreboard presentation for Bo.

The 24-12 game in 1969 was perhaps the most painful loss in tOSU football history, denying back-to-back NCs, but it was the start of the Ten Year War, which made the tOSU-TSUN rivalry the best in college football.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

I have been away from my computer for several days, but this is too momentous an occasion to leave my sentiments unexpressed. I grew up wanting to play for Woody and against Bo.

Of the many reasons that THE GAME is the greatest rivalry in all of sports is that the rivals truly respect one another. Bo Schembechler, and men like him, invite that respect from all decent Buckeyes. The poignant thought for today is that most of the "men like him" became the men they are today in large part because of him.

There are many traditions on both sides of this rivalry that might lead the uninitiated to believe that we don't really respect one another. Admittedly, among younger fans who are quick to eschew respect of anyone and anything, these traditions are about a lack of respect. But to the older and wiser on both sides, these traditions are all in fun. To us, the best part of the rivalry is beating your rival and knowing that you have beaten an elite program. Knowing they are elite is an inextricable part of that equation.

For our part, one of the most misunderstood traditions is our reticence to utter the name of That School Up North. Indeed, I wrote a section of the game preview without employing the name of that school or that state a single time. I didn't even use any of our euphamisms for them.

Today, for this thread, I will make an exception. My thoughts and prayers are with the University of Michigan and their football program as they mourn the loss of their patriarch.

RIP Bo.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler (April 1, 1929 ? November 17, 2006)

Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes (February 14, 1913 ? March 12, 1987)

Rest In Peace

 

[Ohio Steeler]

I just saw this thread and I wanted to say

RIP Bo you will be missed

 

[osugrad21]

Link

[FONT=Verdana,Arial]Memorial Service Tuesday for Bo Schembechler[/FONT]
var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Nov 20, 2006 6:26 AM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Nov 20, 2006 06:26 AM

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN (AP) -- Hundreds of maize-and-blue-clad mourners filed past the casket of Bo Schembechler on Sunday to pay tribute to the no-nonsense coach who became the face of Michigan football. Thousands are also expected to pack Michigan Stadium for a memorial service on Tuesday afternoon.
The closed casket at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church was festooned with floral arrangements. Schembechler's likeness was presented in a painting and in a photo of him coaching in his signature navy blue "M" cap. A plaque on an easel listed his records during each of 21 seasons as the Wolverines' coach.
Schembechler died Friday at age 77 after collapsing at a suburban Detroit television studio. His death came the day before No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan 42-39 in one of college football's great rivalries. Mourners included former players, current Michigan students and past rivals who said they came to thank him.
Aram Sarkisian, a trumpet player in the Michigan marching band, said he had met Schembechler after the former coach spoke to the group. "Bo has always meant a lot to my family," said the junior, who wore his blue letter jacket to the viewing. "He's the kind of person, you just hung on every single word he said."
Schembechler died as Michigan's winningest coach. He was a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year, compiling a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89 and a 234-65-8 lifetime record. He never had a losing season. Thirteen of Schembechler's Michigan teams won or shared the Big Ten championship, and 15 finished in The Associated Press top 10. His 1985 team was No. 2.
Mourners at the public viewing, however, did not mention Schembechler's wins and losses but instead talked about his off-the-field legacy. "He was like a dad," said Julia Moore, 37, a 1991 Michigan alumna who worked in the football recruiting office as an undergraduate. "He wanted the best for you."
She said Schembechler was a "disciplinarian" but had paternal qualities. "He told you what to do, but it was loving and heartfelt," Moore said.
James Humphries, who played for Schembechler in the late 1970s, said he cherished the times he could speak with the coach one-on-one. Now a lawyer, Humphries brought his wife and children to the viewing, which lasted three hours.
He remembered seeing the coach in August when he took his son to Michigan's two-a-day practices. "He always had a kind word, an encouraging word," said Humphries, who wore a maize-colored Big House cap. "He was true, true to his word. It was an honor and privilege to play for him. He gave you that no-quit attitude, and you took that with you the rest of your life."
While some mourners attended the viewing for just a few minutes, others sat quietly in the church's pews for more than an hour. Former Michigan State coach George Perles stopped by to pay his respects. He described Schembechler as a very close friend.
Schembechler attended Perles' annual Special Olympics golf outing in Lansing in August. He signed autographs and posed for photos with the crowd, which was dominated by Spartans, not Wolverines fans. "He got a standing ovation from all the Spartan fans. They loved him," Perles said. "His legacy will be as one of the great coaches ... one of the most loyal people we ever had around."
The memorial service honoring Schembechler at Michigan Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday.

 

[HineyBuck]

God Bless Bo!! RIP

I was in Amsterdam for The Game, as well as the week leading up to it. On gameday, I'm walking around with my block O hat on and some guy says something about Bo "kicked the bucket." The guy seemed pretty stoned, so I moved on. Ran into another Buckeye and asked him. Sure enough, he confirmed.

I thought, that son-of-a-gun!! It's a motivational ploy! The more I think about it, the more convinced I become. Bo's plausible thought process: "Ok, the ticker's wearing out, I've got to go sometime. Lllloyd's got that 'deer in the headlights' look. Maybe I can just work myself to death this week and give the boys a little juice." Ok, so maybe it wasn't deliberate, but he did die doing what he loved to do, and I can't imagine he wasn't looking for something to give his team an edge.

My uncle played for Miami with Bo (of course, Woody was their coach). My dad was a long-time football coach in Columbus, so he knew Bo. I met him in 1967--spring of my junior year in high school. We visited Miami thinking maybe I would go to school there (alas, I was not recruited for football--at 5'10" and 150lbs I wasn't very big, but I sure was slow). I asked Dad if we could visit the athletic offices to see some of the "cradle of coaches" trophies, pictures, and such. It was a Saturday and the building was nearly deserted. But when we walked by Bo's office, sure enough he was in. He could not have been more gracious; I think he would have spent the afternoon with us if we had wanted. I remember when Dad introduced us, Bo looked at me and back at my dad and said, "Fine looking boy." That may seem no big thing, but just a few years later, at my grandfather's funeral, Dad introduced me to Woody Hayes. He looked at me and back at my dad and said, "Fine looking boy." I remember asking Dad if he thought Bo would go on to bigger things like so many of the cradle of coaches coaches. Dad said he would be coaching in the Big Ten in a few years. I guess we might all wish he had stayed at Miami for just a couple more years.

So, has enough time passed for a little joke? You've all heard some version of this:

Bo dies. St Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says we've been waiting for you. Takes Bo around to a nice neighborhood and shows him his house. It's modest, but pleasant. Bo is touched to find it is painted Maize and Blue, with a block M flag hanging from the front porch. Inside he finds various memorabilia from his coaching days. He concludes life in heaven will be very nice. A few days later, Woody Hayes stops by to pay his respects. He asks Bo how he likes his new house. Bo says, "At first I was very touched. But then I saw that Scarlet and Gray mansion at the top of the hill, and I wondered why I didn't get one of those. What makes you so special, Coach?" Coach Hayes replied, "Oh, that's not my house, I'm just down the street from you. That's God's house."

:osu:

 

[unionfutura]

Nice to see Tressel and the other coaches there to pay their respects.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
A celebration of Bo Schembechler's life

The Big House has final farewell to Michigan great.

By Larry Lage
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? A football was nowhere to be found, though that didn't stop about 15,000 people from sitting in Michigan Stadium to honor Bo Schembechler on Tuesday.
Michigan football greats from Desmond Howard to Dan Dierdorf passed through the tunnel and onto the field and many former players jumped to slap the "GO BLUE" banner as they did when they played.
Rashaun Rucker
DETROIT FREE PRESS
(enlarge photo)
Shemy Schembechler is comforted by his wife, Megan, after he spoke about his father, longtime Michigan coach Bo Schembechler.





Many that never met Schembechler showed up, too, in a fitting venue for the tribute.
"On a cold November day in this great, old stadium, there's no game today," Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said. "But all of you are here because of what he was."
Several speakers recounted stories about the fiery coach, who also had a sense of humor, from a stage that was set up along the sideline that Schembechler roamed from 1969-89.
The crowd that filled many of the rows between the end zones on one side of the storied stadium often laughed at the anecdotes shared by university officials, former players, assistants and coaching colleagues.
But there were also reminders that this was a memorial as much as a celebration about a man who died Friday at 77, ending a long battle with heart disease and diabetes, the day before his beloved Michigan was beaten by rival Ohio State 42-39.
Former running back Jamie Morris paused to regain his composure from the podium and Schembechler's son, Shemy, broke down a few times while making his comments toward the end of the 2 1/2-hour event. When "A Celebration of Bo's Life" closed with highlights from Schembechler's career on the video boards, his wife, Cathy, covered her face with her hands and wept.
It was like a football Saturday in Ann Arbor, except it was a different day of the week and those sitting in the Big House were mourning Schembechler instead of cheering for him.
The band pounded out the famous fight song "The Victors" and the national anthem preceded the afternoon event.
"He told me many times, 'Football should be played in the afternoons,' " recalled Jim Brandstatter, a former player and the master of ceremonies. "He would not stand for a 3:30 start or an 8 o'clock start. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, toe meets leather at 1:14 exactly."
Most of the speakers made some reference to Schembechler being a "Michigan man" and Carr recalled a story that perhaps best illustrated that moniker.
Schembechler had a staff meeting at his house in the early 1980s, when Texas A&M made him an offer to be the highest-paid coach in college football, and he wanted to know what his assistants thought about the opportunity.
"The staff was divided about whether to go and whether to stay," Carr recalled. "At the end of the meeting, with a tear in his eye and a crack in his voice, he said, 'Yes, but you don't have to tell those players you're leaving.' "

 

[coastalbuck]

I saw some of that yesterday, very nice tribute held in the right place. RIP coach, you will be missed but forever remembered.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Big House good-bye

Web-posted Nov 22, 2006


Celebration of Bo more a matter of smiles than tears

By PAULA PASCHE
Of The Oakland Press

Larry and Sue Lacoboni of Oak Park recite a prayer during the service. -AP PHOTO

ANN ARBOR - Bo Schembechler's life was celebrated Tuesday at the most fitting place on the face of the earth, Michigan Stadium.
Hundreds of his former players not just from Michigan, but also from his days at Miami (Ohio), entered the stadum from the tunnel, walked across the field and under the traditional "Go Blue" banner while the Michigan band played "The Victors."
It was tabbed as a celebration of the life of the legendary coach. And that it was. For nearly three hours, tales were told. Emotions ranged from gut-busting laughs to a tear now and then.
His death on Friday, was remarkable. It was 37 years ago today that Schembechler's Wolverines took the fi eld at Michigan Stadium as heavy underdogs and went on to scorch the Buckeyes 24-12.
Last Tuesday, prior to the Ohio State game, athletic director Bill Martin made a rare appearance at football practice and spent the time chatting with Schembechler on everything from cranberry sauce to football.
When they parted, Schembechler said, "Now, Martin, you going to get this (darned) stadium project done, aren't you?" Then he offered to help in any way he could.
Everybody had a story to tell, most of them ending with a hilarious Schembechler punchline.
Lloyd Carr remembered that just last week, Bo had told him he was having trouble breathing. He then told Carr, "I can't live like this."
When Carr was Schembechler's assistant, Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz offered him a job as defensive coordinator. Schembechler told him he was not going to Notre Dame. So he didn't.
"Bo did not have a particular fondness for Notre Dame," Carr said. "... I can guarantee you this, the first time Bo Schembechler will ever cheer for Notre Dame will be this Saturday."
(Because if the Irish top USC this weekend, it would enhance Michigan's chances of playing a rematch against Ohio State in the national championship game.)
Dan Dierdorf, who played at Michigan from 1968-70, was recruited by Schembechler while he was at Miami. But Dierdorf, not about to be bothered by a small school, wanted to play at Michigan. Two years later Schembechler took the job at Michigan.
Dierdorf thought he'd go on the offensive and welcome the new coach to Michigan. He met him in the hall and stuck out his hand to shake, when Bo grabbed him around the mid-section and said, "You're fat, you're mine and I don't forget." said Dierdorf, who had maintained a friendship with his former coach.
Dierdorf said that Monday's funeral procession took one last loop past Schembechler Hall and Michigan Stadium.
"In the car I felt kind of lost," Dierdorf said.
"We'll be OK, we'll be all right. Our foundation is not made of clay, it's made of maize and blue Schembechler granite," he added.
Former running back Jamie Morris (1984-87) still kept in close contact with the coach. He recalled how they would go to lunch and Schembechler would say they should both eat healthy and have salads. Then he'd order a burger with everything and warn Morris not to tell anyone. He'd call Morris late a night because his new 50-inch plasma TV wasn't working when he just hadn't waited long enough for it to come on.
When Schembechler met him during a recruiting visit, he told Morris, "Son, I don't know if you can handle a Big Ten season." Then, as Morris remembers, the coach saw the look in his eye and said "I'll tell you what, you may be Michigan material." Then Morris had to gather himself.
Turns out Morris was Michigan material. He still holds the record for most career all-purpose yards at Michigan with 6,201.
John Robinson, former USC coach, remembered the day he first met Schembechler at a press conference prior to the Rose Bowl. A reporter had written something nasty about his team, and before he could address it, Schembechler took over the podium. "He gives this guy hell for about fi ve minutes," said Robinson who remained close with Schembechler and his wife throughout the years.
Reggie McKenzie, who played for Schembechler (1969-71) and then the Buffalo Bills summed up the sentiment of many players, saying that he appreciated Bo more after he left.
Others sharing memories included Gary Moeller, who succeeded Schembechler, and Bob Forman, former executive director of the U-M alumni association.
Forman once was on an alumni trip with Schembechler, who was coming off a health problem. So Forman asked the others on the trip not to bother Bo with football questions, just to let him relax.
A few days later, Schembechler approached him. "Forman, this is the worst group of Michigan alumni I ever met. Not one of them is interested in football," Forman recalled.
Moeller watched games in the press box with Schembechler in recent years. He said the old coach was still coaching.
"It was very special to have that relationship," Moeller said.
Jim Brandstatter, who played in that 1969 season and maintained his friendship with Schembechler, was the master of ceremonies, throwing in a story now and then. Shemy Schembechler, Bo's son, was the last to speak. He has now lost both parents, and the pain was evident. He told how he was coached by his dad almost on a daily basis, whether it was on the playground as a second-grader or when he finally decided to try football as a senior at Huron High School. He broke down several times. His dad left quite a legacy. The thousands in attendance were testament to that. The stories told the best of Bo Schembechler, who was much more than a great football coach. He was a character who was full of character. He was a Michigan man.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Former players, coaches, fans gather to honor Schembechler
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Mark Snyder
DETROIT FREE PRESS

</IMG> PAUL SANCYA ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Michigan offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf, left, talks with coach Lloyd Carr during a tribute to Bo Schembechler in Michigan Stadium.

</IMG> RASHAUN RUCKER DETROIT FREE PRESS Shemy Schembechler is comforted by wife, Megan, after speaking about his father.


ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? One mantra spilled regularly from the lips of Bo Schembechler: "The team, the team, the team."
Yesterday, before a crowd of about 20,000 in Michigan Stadium, the team was celebrated, an extension of Schembechler?s extraordinary life.
Speeches by dignitaries, friends and family provided the largest and most public chance to honor the Michigan football coaching legend, who died Friday at age 77.
The event prompted the arrival of a massive group of Schembechler?s former players, who dressed as if it were a game day, in jackets and ties. They greeted each other with bear hugs and a swap of stories.
"When a Michigan man goes, all Michigan men should come and be a part of it," said former tailback Jamie Morris, who spoke at the ceremony about the man he has called his second father. "That?s why we called this a celebration. We didn?t call it ?letting Bo go.? Now it?s time to act the way he taught us."
The university called the ceremony "A Celebration of Bo?s Life," and it was every bit of that. With former player Jim Brandstatter as the master of ceremonies, the Bo stories never slowed.
Brandstatter led off the ceremony by pointing out it was an afternoon event, which Schembechler always preferred and that "toe meets leather at 1:14 exactly" for the kickoff.
Stories were told by Wolverines football coach Lloyd Carr. He spoke about a parking showdown Schembechler had with another driver when Carr interviewed with the university; about the evening in 1982 when Bo told his staff he was turning down the milliondollar coaching offer from Texas A &M and about the confidence he instilled after Carr assumed the head-coaching job in 1995.
Former Michigan coach Gary Moeller addressed Schembechler?s softer side from the days at Ohio State, when he played good cop to Woody Hayes? bad cop.
Schembechler?s son Shemy closed the ceremony with extended remarks, and was one of the string of speakers to honor Bo?s third wife, Cathy, and their storybook romance.
But the best stories came from "the team," the hundreds of players from Ohio State, Miami University and mostly Michigan who attended the ceremony.
Even the fans who attended the ceremony, sitting in the west stands, could see the players? excitement when they marched out of the tunnel onto the field, sitting in the front sections facing the stage.
This was their coach, mentor and friend ? and their chance to say goodbye. "No one wanted to meet under this circumstance," said former wide receiver Desmond Howard, whom Schembechler coached as a freshman and a sophomore. "But there?s a lot of love, and the old man brought us all back together."

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Schembechler finished book before his death


By the Associated Press

Thursday, November 30, 2006

NEW YORK ? Former University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler had completed a book on leadership at the time of his death and Warner Books will release it next fall, the publisher announced Wednesday.
Bo's Lasting Lessons: A Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership was finished a week before Schembechler died of heart failure, on Nov. 17, at age 77.
According to Warner, the book "draws on Bo's 21 years of coaching experience at the University of Michigan and focuses on his extraordinary ability to motivate his players and staff to reach their maximum potential in life."
Schembechler, a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year, compiled a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89. His record in 26 years of coaching was 234-65-8.

 

[osugrad21]

DFP

MITCH ALBOM
A special delivery for the old football coach

November 16, 2007
BY MITCH ALBOM
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
Dear Bo:
Well. It's been awhile. Since your death, one year ago Saturday, there have been so many times I've wanted to talk to you. But I can't. So I'm writing. When you were alive, I knew if I wrote something in the paper that got your attention, you would find me.

So here I am. A letter to a departed coach. I already can hear your phone call, dispensing with "hello," barking into the receiver as soon as I pick it up: "Hey! What kind of WASTE of SPACE was THAT?" To be honest, I'd love to get that call.
But I can't. So I'll keep typing.
It's Michigan-Ohio State weekend, Bo, and I'll say it straight up: I don't think this game will ever be the same. It is now the event that followed your death. It's a showdown played through a ghost. You could have died any other Friday and it would have been less poetic, less ironic, less indelible -- and I know you hate it when I use words like that, but it's true. The day before the Big Game. One year ago.
It's still so hard to believe.



Cont..

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

As a born-and-raised Michigan fan who knew the words to The Victors before I lost my baby teeth, I wanted to say how impressed I am with the reaction of Buckeye fans to the sad death of Bo Schembechler. I found my way here looking for reasons to go back to my fellow Michigan fans and say, "See, look what jerks Buckeye fans are, as if we didn't know!" Instead I find that OSU fans have as much respect for the contributions and legacy of Bo as any true-blue Wolverine fan. I stand corrected! I've gained a ton of respect for Buckeye fans today - it's refreshing to know that both sides understand that Michigan and Ohio State are great programs because of each other rather than despite each other. After reading the above link, I wish I could say the same for Spartan fans

I had forgotten that it was this momentous occasion that brought HtM (and others, I'm sure) to our board. We've had our differences, but he's been a fine addition (51 weeks a year )