The Detroit News is reporting:
Former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler died Friday at Providence Hospital in Southfield. He was 77.
Schembechler was taping of a television show at WXYZ-TV and was taken by ambulance to Providence.
The coaching legend fell ill at the studios, station officials said. Schembechler also was hospitalized Oct. 20 after falling ill at the same location.
Police were sent to the station around 9:25 a.m. along with the city’s fire department and escorted an ambulance to Providence Hospital, Harris said.
Schembechler met with the media earlier this week to discuss Saturday’s game between the second-ranked Wolverines and No. 1 Ohio State.
During the news conference, the 77-year-old discussed the device that was implanted to regulate his heartbeat after he was hospitalized last month.
He said the device covered about half his chest and that doctors still were making adjustments to it.
Schembechler said he did not plan to attend the game in Columbus, Ohio, and that he doesn’t attend road games anymore.
Schembechler had a heart attack on the eve of his first Rose Bowl in 1970 and another one in 1987. He has had two quadruple heart bypass operations.
Former Michigan coach Gary Moeller showed up at the hospital this morning shortly after hearing that Schembechler had collapsed. The grim-looking Moeller approached security guards at the hospital and said he wanted to talk to Schembechler’s wife. “I just want to see Kathy,” he said.
Former U-M player Jim Brandstatter also was among those who rushed to the hospital after hearing news reports.
Hospital officials, meanwhile, were preparing the auditorium for a press conference.
Schembechler, a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year, compiled a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89. His record in 26 years of coaching was 234-64-8.
How sad. His Michigan Wolverines are traveling to the Horseshoe to play the Ohio State Buckeyes tomorrow in probably the biggest game in college football.
Kevin adds: One of the great things about The Weblog Awards is that you find stuff like this amazing tribute among the nominees.
He was the Michigan version of Woody Hayes. He will be missed.
Thats truly sad, on the eve of one of the biggest college football games this year their ex-coach goes upstairs to watch the game.
I suppose someone’s gotta say it so I’ll do it first: “Go out and win one for Bo.”
Definitely a sad day for College Football. He was the best friend and biggest defender of Woody Hayes.
I was listening to Rush Limbaugh at about 12:20pm when the local Columbus station broke in with the news. This has put a big damper on the game for me tomorrow.
I’m sorry he’s not going to see the game tomorrow, and I feel really badly for his family.
He will be missed, indeed. I’m wondering how this will effect the Wolverines, tomorrow. Will it make em more feisty, or will it bring ’em down (emotionally)?
Either way, as a buckeye fan, it makes me nervous.
Still. Bo was a top ten all time coach and person. He deserves all the praise he’ll be receiving, this weekend — too bad it’ll be Brent Cheeseburger doing the in-game eulogy stuff. Bo deserves better than the Cheese …
yo:
Right now, I could care less about the game. I’ll get excited for it tomorrow. Not today.
Indeed a sad day-what an icon.
However….
I’m putting money on U-M now!
This will be one of the biggest rivalry games in sports history … just read the WSJ today about the significance of this 109-year rivalry that started “when Babe Ruth was a baby”… and ol’ Bo missed it by one day. I’ll remember him every time U/M runs up middle. Go Blue!
Hail
As my son was moving through that grade school..sports…thing…and I attempted to explain stuff ..I did not experience..when we watched Bo’s Mich Team…I would tell him…”that’s what I meant.”
Bo’s ripple is much greater than those that feel it will ever know…
Thank you Bo…R.I.P.
The night before this season’s biggest College Football game, College Football lost one of the best coaches in NCAA history. The former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler died today at 77. In reports presented by ESPN and ABC news; Schembechler’s heart may have not been able to take all the excitement and build-up of tomarrow’s game. It is also stated that he had a heart-attack the night before the Rose Bowl in 1970. Schembechler was a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year, compiling a 194-48-5 record at Michigan from 1969-89. His record in 26 years of coaching was 234-65-8. He never had a losing season. Impressive! Read More…
Being a Michigan native, and being an usher at Michigan home games as a cub scout and a boy scout when they allowed that in the late 40’s and early 50’s, I loved the Wolverines.
Bo in my mind was bigger than most people realized, he was a tremendous influence in the lives of the young men he coached, and so many of them became bigger than life because of him. Bo was a winner, and the young men that he coached became winners in life. What greater acolade can one give him.
We will miss him, but I would bet that he will have the best seat for the big game – and he will be suggesting run right, run left, and run up the middle, with that smile on his face. GO BLUE!
While I hooted GO GREEN, and GO WHITE,
And frothed at Maize-Blue songs of Fight,
Bo’s passing a sad time
yet still on the Gridline
Wolverines will be showing their Might.
My second favorite team used to be whoever was playing UM, but I think I’ll be happy to switch allegiance this time…
How important are the college football coaches. How many percent of the success is up to the coach and up to the players? But I think good and strong leadership is very important. LR College just hired a top notche football coach for it’s team, Fred Goldsmith Goldsmith was a two-time NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year at Rice (1992) and Duke (1994). The story appears in yesterday’s HULIQ at http://www.huliq.com/337/college-names-fred-goldsmith-new-head-football-coach