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I'm never been a big Bo Schembechler fan.  I went to Penn State before it was in the Big 10, so I always thought the Big 10 was over-rated.  Now that Penn State is in the Big 10, I just think Michigan is over-rated…

But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a great coach.  When Bo died on the eve of the Michigan - Ohio State game this past November there were many tributes to the man.  I chose a slightly different path, I chose to highlight the impact coaches have on everyone who plays in this post from November 20th.

The Echoes of Time

By : Coach Bigs

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. - James Thurber

We coach for a lot of reasons, but I'm guessing immortality isn't one of them.  But in a way you do achieve immortality in a way.  I know I can remember nearly every coach I ever had.  From my first hockey coach at 5 years old to the raspy voiced basketball coach who always smelled like cigarettes, through the burly Bolivian soccer coach, not to mention the one armed baseball coach or the southern accented hockey coach.  They were all rec league coaches who volunteered their time to teach me and a bunch of other boys the finer points of a game.  I remember them not for anything they said or any move they taught me — the next "move" I make on the basketball court will be my first — but I remember them because they were there.

I'm thinking about these men tonight because I've been reading the many tributes to Bo Schembechler.  Bo was the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1969-1989.  His teams were always highly ranked, winning 10 Big Ten Conference championships.  He is considered a legend in Michigan and as a truly great coach in the rest of the country.

What struck me about the response was the fact Bo hadn't coached in 16 years.  To put that in perspective, the seniors playing in Saturday's Ohio State vs. Michigan game were in Kindergarten when Bo coached his last game.  An entire generation has grown up seeing someone other than Bo Schembechler on the Michigan sidelines on Saturday afternoon.  Yet he was as revered as his last day as coach (maybe more).

One comment in the Detroit Free Press article from the son of a former player illustrates the impact a coach can have long after the games end.

My dad played for Bo 40 years ago, at Miami of Ohio. We've followed Michigan ever since he moved there and became fans almost solely because of him. My dad stayed in touch with Bo after his playing days, and we traveled to Michigan bowl games all over the country. I got to meet Bo two or three times in the locker room before or after games, one moment I'll remember all my life is when he looked me in the eyes and said, "If you grow up to be half the man your daddy is, you'll be something else". I think my dad's head almost split open with pride. It was amazing what a communicator he was, the power of commitment and confidence.

I called my dad (a successful professional) today when I found out the news, and he was pretty down. Played for him 40 years ago, and look at the impact he still has on my dad's life. It was like losing a surrogate father. Now that's something I long to get out of my own life.

God bless you, Bo. And God's peace to your family.

Indeed.