Bo Schembechler was undoubtedly the all-time best coach in Big Ten conference games with 13 Championships in 21 years and an .850 winning percentage. Only a lousy record in bowls (5-12) keeps Bo out of the discussion of all-time great coaches.
Interestingly, Schembechler wasn't Michigan's first choice, as
they offered the job to Joe Paterno...
Q. Didn't you have a chance to take the Michigan job in the late 60s? Did you talk to them?
A. Don Canahm and I met...I think it was after the '68 season in Pittsburgh and we talked and he offered me the job when they hired Bo Schembechler. And once a year Don used to write me a letter and say, "Thanks!"
Bo worked very, very hard to become successful. Here is an excerpt from
Bo's Lasting Lessons, which was written with help from John U. Bacon...
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"If you want to become a great leader, you need to prepare yourself to become a great leader, and the best way to do that is to study great leaders.
"When Woody Hayes left Miami of Ohio in 1951, right after my senior year, to take the head coaching position at Ohio State, I didn’t have to think too long to accept his offer to go with him. This was the first of my two stints with Woody, which formed the bookends of my twelve years as an assistant coach.
"But back then, there was no such thing as a graduate assistant, so he got me a job down at the tax department in Columbus, where I handed out the stamps that served as sales tax rebates for church groups, charities, and other non profits. I got paid $100 a month. I wasn’t paid a cent to coach.
"When the coaches needed coffee, I got the coffee. When they needed someone to get their laundry, I got it. When they had to pick up recruits at the airport, I picked them up/ I did all their grunt work, and I did it without complaining.
"What did I get in return? I learned how to recruit, I learned how to run a practice, I learned everything I could, from top to bottom, from one of the greatest coaches who ever lived. I even learned a thing or two about alumni relations.
"But what I learned from Woody was this: He was the greatest teacher and the hardest worker I have ever seen in my entire life, to this day.
"Woody was not innovative. He didn’t waste any plays trying to fool you. That was not his game. No, his strategy was to teach his team fundamental techniques better than anyone else, and win game after game through simple, mistake-free football.
"What did I do with all this knowledge I acquired? I didn’t use it to sell myself, that’s for sure. I used it to become the best assistant coach I could be. I had no qualms about being an assistant coach, and I thought I was the best offensive line coach there ever was!"
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We'll be leaving soon for Evanston, about an hour away. We'll be tailgating with the Greater Chicago Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association...
