Bo Schembechler, 1929 - 2006

Former University of Michigan football head coach Glenn E. "Bo" Schembechler died today at the age of 77.

Schembechler took over the head coaching responsibility at Michigan in 1969. I was 9, going on 10. University of Michigan football, and indeed football in general, was not on my radar screen. My sports enthusiasm, to the extent I had any, was for Detroit Tigers baseball and -- this was a new invention at that time -- Frisbee.

My interest in Michigan football came to life in 1973 when my sister entered the university as a freshman. That would have been Schembechler's 4th season at Michigan. He finished 1973 with an overall record at Michigan of 48 wins, 6 losses and 1 tie. In all his years as head coach at Michigan or Miami of Ohio before that, Schembechler never suffered a losing season. He is Michigan's all-time winningest coach. Michigan is U.S. college football's all-time winningest football program.

I never met the man. But one of the things I recall about Bo Schembechler was his fierce devotion to discipline, execution of fundamentals, and strict adherance to honor and integrity. In 20 years of coaching at Michigan, his teams never were under penalty for recruiting violations. Never once was there even an allegation of it. In my 47 years on this earth I've not once -- not once -- read or heard of any former player of Schembechler's utter anything but high praise for Schembechler the man and the coach.

Schembechler appears to have been an example of one of those leaders who demands and exacts the most out of those he leads. And those under him give it, and feel privileged to have done so. He was famously tough, but apparently utterly fair and infused with honesty and integrity.

I can't carry off the "tough" part of that, but I sure do admire the "fair, honest and integrity" part. That to me is what sets great men apart.

I am struck by an odd sense of loss. Like I said, I never met Schembechler; never saw him in person except from on the sidelines of the stadium itself. Perhaps his passing marks the passing of one element of my youth.

Tomorrow the University of Michigan plays Ohio State University in football. It is billed as the greatest rivalry in U.S. college football. This year Ohio State is ranked #1 with a record of 11-0; Michigan is ranked #2 with a record of 11-0. The winner goes on to the national championship game.