You can’t talk about the Michigan football program without talking about legendary coach Bo Schembechler. The legendary coach and athletic director has his handprints all over not just the Michigan football team, but all of the school’s sports after spending parts of four decades in Ann Arbor. It’s a legacy that still casts a large shadow today as the Wolverines prepare to play in the College Football Playoff national championship game and one that had a huge impact on current AD Warde Manuel.
“I smile because I hear him every day,” Warde Manuel said when asked about Schembechler. “He would say he’s proud. Very proud. Jim [Harbaugh] and I have talked about that over the years, because we know how led, what he instilled in us, and we know he would be proud of us … Bo will always be a part of me, always be a part of Jim, and always help to drive the success of Michigan.”
With Michigan just hours away from the College Football Playoff national championship game, Harbaugh and his players will be trying to accomplish something Schembechler never could: Win a national championship.
The Bo Schembechler legacy
Schembechler coached the Michigan football team from 1969-1898, going 194-48-5 in the process. He won 13 Big Ten Conference titles but could never break through as a national champion.
However, the team was ranked in all but one Schembechler-led season, and the coach never had a losing year.
The Ohio native played football at Miami (OH) before becoming one of Woody Hayes’ most trusted assistants at Ohio State. Schembechler then became head coach at his alma mater before moving to Michigan and establishing one of college football’s all-time best rivalries with Hayes.
Schembechler was, like Warde Manuel, the Michigan AD from 1988-90 before finishing his career as president of MLB’s Detroit Tigers.
Follow Us
Subscribe