Remembering the Coach

Saturday it will be a year since the legend Bo Schembechler passed away. It was a Friday like today and right before a huge showdown between the #2 Wolverines and the #1 Buckeyes. It was a very sad day when it should have been full of anticipation for the greatest showdown in the history of the "Game". My friends still kid me that this was the only time I called them during working hours. It was news they needed know.

I had the great opportunity to meet Bo 3 or 4 times in my life. He always had a handshake or "go blue" for everyone. Bo was a man that loved his players and his university. He will also be the reason that #1 ranked LSU coach will come home to Michigan after the season is over. When Les Miles was asked this week on what his thoughts were about a possible job at Michigan, he quoted his old coach, "Bo would tell me, worry about the job you got!". I think we all can hear Bo saying those exact words.

How ironic was it for Bo to pass away on the eve of the Michigan - Ohio State game? But watching the HBO special this week, I had no idea how ironic it really was. A huge misconception out there is Bo and Woody hated each other. That they would rather rip each others hearts out then be in the same room together. The fact is, they were best friends and became close when Bo coached under Woody at Miami University. Woody visited Bo after his Heart Attack at the Rose Bowl and they always stayed in touch. What struck me in the HBO piece was when Woody was very old and weak they asked him to come down to Dayton and introduce Bo at an awards dinner. Woody was to weak to travel, but he had someone take him down there and he spoke for a half an hour on what Bo meant to him. After that talk, Woody was driven home and quietly passed away.

Bo doing the exact same thing for the HBO piece a year ago, was at Michigan Stadium speaking about his old friend Woody and the great games they shared on the field. That was Bo's last interview, he died the next day. Each man last words were about the love they had for each other, not the hate they had for each other's teams. See it wasn't hate at all, it was respect, it wasn't war, it was young men playing as hard as they could for each coach.

This time of year doesn't seem the same without Bo as I'm sure the Buckeye fans feel the same way about Woody. Coach you are missed. Enjoy Saturday's game with Woody as I'm sure you both will be siting in a couple of old office chairs complaining to each other that both teams are passing the ball too much.

Mitch Albom's take on Bo

Bo and Woody remembered on a special coin during the opening flip.