Famed Miami Alumnus Bo Schembechler Passes Away at Age 77
11/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 17, 2006
OXFORD, Ohio -- For the second time in less than five months Miami University's prestigious Cradle of Coaches has been rocked by the loss of one of its own. Glenn "Bo" Schembechler, a 1951 Miami graduate and the head coach of the Miami football program from 1963-68, passed away late this morning at the age of 77 years old.
Miami University Director of Athletics Brad Bates, a 1981 graduate of Michigan who played on three Big Ten Championship teams as a player under Schembechler, recalled Schembechler's enormous contributions to college football and the many lives he touched.
"Bo is one of those historically rare, extraordinary people who literally influence past, present and future generations," Bates said. "His legacy extends well beyond anyone who was fortunate enough to know him as he developed leaders... who continue to develop even more leaders... who will develop even more leaders... Today, all his former students lost our surrogate father. `Hail' to Bo, with `Love and Honor.'"
Best known for a 21-year tenure at the University of Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to 13 Big Ten Conference Championships and 10 Rose Bowl appearances, Schembechler posted an all-time coaching record of 234-65-8 in 27 years as a head coach at Miami and Michigan and never suffered through a losing season. He was named National Coach of the Year in 1969 by both the American Football Coaches Association and the Football Writers Association of America.
A native of Barberton, Ohio, Schembechler attended Miami from 1947-51, playing under legendary head coaches Sid Gillmann (1944-47) and Woody Hayes (1949-50). He lettered two seasons on the Miami offensive line and also lettered two seasons as a pitcher on the baseball team. Following his graduation, he served several assistant coaching stints, including time at Ohio State, Northwestern and Bowling Green.
Schembechler succeeded former college teammate John Pont as Miami's head coach prior to the 1963 season and guided the Red and White for six seasons, never finishing outside of the top three in the Mid-American Conference standings and leading Miami to co-championships in both 1965 and 1966. He compiled a 40-17-3 mark at Miami before departing for the head job at Michigan in December of 1968.
Schembechler was inducted into Miami's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972 and more recently gained admission into Miami's prestigious Cradle of Coaches Association in 2004. He also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame.
He joins Randy Walker (1954-2006), a former head coach at Miami and Northwestern, as the second high-profile member of Miami's Cradle of Coaches to pass on during the past five months.