Bo Schembechler: Legendary Coach

Bo Schembechler arrived on the Michigan campus in 1969 during a time of political and social unrest, particularly in Ann Arbor, where activism was a vital part of the culture.

Schembechler, though, was a football man. He wasn't interested in politics or protests. He was interested in one thing: football. And he was interested in rebuilding a Michigan program that had endured losing seasons in six of the previous 11 years.

So in came Schembechler, who once referred to himself as the "short-haired guy who believed in discipline and hard work." He took over the team in 1969, having been hired by athletics director Don Canham. Schembechler became head coach at Miami (Ohio), his alma mater, in 1963 and won two Mid-American Conference titles.

When he arrived in Ann Arbor, the knock on Michigan was that the Wolverines were not tough. Having a team not considered "tough" was not something Schembechler would or could tolerate.

On the first day of spring practice, he delivered a classic Schembechler speech that caught the attention of all the players. "Now you listen to me, all of you," he said to them. "I do not care if you are white or black or Irish or Italian or Catholic or Jewish or liberal or conservative. From this point on, I will treat you all exactly the same — like dogs!"

During that preseason, Schembechler and his coaches came up with the now well-known, famous slogan, "Those who stay will be champions." The sign was placed above the locker room door. Many left that first season, unable to cope with Schembechler's brutal workouts and practices. One player who left wrote in marker on that original sign: "And those who quit will be doctors, lawyers, and captains of industry."

Many years later, Schembechler said that of all the teams he had coached, that '69 team had every right to "resent" him. Those players had not come to Michigan to play for Schembechler, after all, and he was exceptionally tough on them.

But all these years later, his players speak lovingly and with tremendous respect for their coach.

"The thing about Bo was, he had a perception of being this real tough guy, and he portrayed that picture to everyone on the outside," said former All-America defensive back Tom Curtis. "But once you got to know Bo, he was just the nicest and the most caring person that you could imagine."

Schembechler's arrival at Michigan ushered in a new era of the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry, as well. Schembechler had played for Woody Hayes at Miami in 1949 and then became a graduate assistant under Hayes at Ohio State in 1951 and later an assistant coach from 1958 to 1962.

This coaching rivalry between teacher and student began in 1969, stretched a decade, and became known as the "10 -Year War." Michigan went 5–4–1 against Ohio State during the "war" between Woody and Bo, and it all started with an incredible opening matchup in Ann Arbor. Ohio State, ranked No. 1 and riding a 22-game winning streak, was a 17-point favorite, but the Wolverines pulled off the stunning 24–12 upset.

"You've got to understand, when I came here, I was sent to beat one and only one team," Schembechler said years later. "I only wanted Ohio State. That's the team I wanted to beat. I talked about it all the time. I did something every day to beat Ohio State and to beat Woody. That was the greatest challenge in my coaching career, was to beat him. If that added fuel to the fire, so be it. That's the way I approached it."

Schembechler's Michigan career was, of course, more than Michigan versus Ohio State. He was a seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, and he compiled a 194–48–5 record with the Wolverines from 1969 to 1989. In his 26 years as a head coach, he was 234–65–8 and never had a losing season. He was 11–9–1 overall against the Buckeyes.

There were other challenges throughout his career other than Hayes and the Buckeyes. Schembechler had a heart attack on the eve of his first Rose Bowl in 1970 and another in 1987. He had two quadruple-heart-bypass operations, and he also had diabetes.

He retired in 1989 because of his heart. His last game was a 17–10 loss to Southern California in the 1990 Rose Bowl. His final two teams in 1988 and 1989 won consecutive outright Big Ten titles.

His doctors later would say that Schembechler defied logic, beating the odds until his death at the age of 77. He died on the eve of the biggest Michigan–Ohio State game in history, when No. 1 OSU faced No. 2 Michigan in Ohio Stadium in 2006.

Those Who Stay ...

When Bo Schembechler arrived at Michigan in 1969, he knew there would be player defections. He intended to run hard, tough practices, and he wanted to build a challenging strength and conditioning program, and, rightfully, he assumed his style wouldn't be for everyone.

During his first training camp, Michigan started with about 140 players, but only 75 remained.

Schembechler's slogan would become: "Those who stay will be champions."

He created a sign with that slogan that has become forever linked with the Michigan program, and an updated version of that sign remains today in the locker room above the door. Schembechler's first sign, however, was defaced by John Prusiecki, who was one of the players who left the program. His final act was to take a marker and add a few more words to the sign.

"And those who leave will be doctors, lawyers, and captains of industry," Prusiecki scribbled.

Michigan Stadium: The Biggest and the Best

The Big House.

These three simple words say it all about Michigan Stadium, one of the most widely recognized football facilities in the country.

Legendary Michigan football radio announcer Bob Ufer also said it all each Saturday when he announced to the listening audience that Michigan Stadium was the "hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted, and Schembechler fills every cotton-pickin' Saturday afternoon."

Michigan Stadium has been the home of the Wolverines since 1927. Within its confines, fans have witnessed the Wolverines earn major victories. It has showcased national championship teams and Heisman Trophy winners. And it also, naturally, has been the site of some of Michigan's disappointments.

But Michigan fan or not, Michigan Stadium is a must-visit on a Saturday afternoon during the fall.

A recent $226 million renovation and expansion project gave the stadium a facelift. Unveiled in 2010, the stadium now sports 81 luxury boxes, a new press box, and more than 3,000 club seats. The total seating capacity is now 109,901, the highest capacity of any football stadium in the country. During the renovation in 2008 and 2009, Michigan Stadium's official capacity temporarily dipped from 107,501 to 106,201 — ranking second behind Penn State's Beaver Stadium, capacity 107,282, for two seasons.

The Big House once again stands as the largest football stadium in the nation. But all of this would not be a reality had it not been for the vision of coach Fielding H. Yost.

In the early 1920s Yost began thinking large. Very large.

Even way back then, he envisioned a stadium that would seat 100,000 to 150,000 for each Michigan home game. But while campuses like Michigan State, Ohio State, and Illinois had built new stadiums during that era, Michigan had expanded its home, Ferry Field,...