Tag: Shemy Schembechler

Jim Harbaugh addresses recent Michigan football controversies

Harbaugh was very forthcoming on both of these issues. #GoBlue

DETROIT — On Thursday, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media for the first time since early in spring ball.

A lot has happened since then, including the Wolverines hiring Shemy Schembechler, son of legendary coach Bo Schembechler, who resigned after just three days in response to controversial Twitter likes had surfaced publicly.

So what happened? Was Michigan aware of Schembechler’s social media in advance? Harbaugh said the program became aware after the fact and that the team took action once the controversy came to light.

“Once we became aware of things that were just offensive,” Harbaugh said. “Offensive to me, offensive to other members of our team, we didn’t want that mindset around. It’s disappointing. I’ve known Shem for a long time. But there are no sacred cows. It’s not who we are, it’s not us.”

Harbaugh said that the program has a company that vets incoming staff members, but aspects of Schembechler’s social media fell through the cracks. Harbaugh said the team is no longer using that company given its report had none of the details that went public just a day after Schembechler’s hire.

“Yeah, we’ve had that,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve read the report myself. We have a company that vets that. We got a new company doing that. But we’re gonna be better. I’ll take responsibility for that. It’s not what should have been. If somebody can find that in a day, then we have to be able to be on it ourselves.

“Sometimes you got to do stuff yourself.”

Another controversy that Michigan football was embroiled in actually took place last fall.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards retweeted something that appeared to be anti-Semitic. The retweet was deleted, and Harbaugh addressed the situation in October, saying that the team would be visiting the Holocaust museum at some point to educate players and make penance for the incident.

This spring, a handful of Michigan State fans posed as investigative journalists and shared that the Wolverines had yet to visit the Holocaust museum, nor did they have any plans to. However, not only did the team have the Washington D.C. Holocaust museum on the docket for the team trip in late April, early May, but Harbaugh shared that the program also visited the Holocaust museum in Michigan in April.

“Yeah, yeah, very impactful,” Harbaugh said. “It’s like anything, there’s so much to learn and those who want to learn learn, and that was really, really impactful and insight on history. You learn more than you did before, I recommend that.”

The local trip was arranged by University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who Harbaugh credited for enlightening the team on an important period in history that we should never forget.

“Jordan did a great job. Jordan was — he was amazing,” Harbaugh said. “Really. I mean, understanding that people don’t just — people think — people don’t know until they know. And so I applaud him for suggesting it, for hosting us and teaching us all. Because we care, we care about our fellow man and I don’t want to do anything that’s offensive to anybody. We’re for everybody.”

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Shemy Schembechler issues statement after Michigan football resignation

The saga continues.

Michigan football found itself in the middle of another controversy late last week with its newest hire.

Son of famed Wolverines head coach Bo Schembechler, Shemy Schembechler was set to come home to be the assistant director of recruiting after he spent the bulk of the past two decades as an NFL scout. However, after it was discovered that Schembechler had some controversial likes on social media, he resigned his new post.

On Monday, Schembechler issued a statement through an Arizona-based public relations firm:

My entire life and that of my Dad and family has been devoted to the best in people — no matter their race, religion or creed,” the statement begins. “I have fed my family through hard work and dedicated service promoting Black excellence and lifelong successes in academics and athletics for all. I was raised on the right side of history. The success of myself, my family, my father, our whole legacy is centered on the debt we owe the scores of Black families, and all families, who allowed us to be a part of their incredible journeys. These Black players are among the greatest influences in my life besides faith, family and my father — all of which inform me of inalienable equality. Creating greater opportunities for every single aspiring athlete, especially Black athletes, has been our family’s focus and life’s work. But what I do for a living is far less important than for people to know what is in my heart, and has been, since I was born, instilled in me by my pioneering father. By inexplicably and irresponsibly liking things on social media, I owe an unabashed and unequivocal apology to my hundreds of friends and fellow coaches in the Black community, all communities, the University of Michigan, my father’s legacy and my family.

Any words or philosophies that in any way seek to underplay the immeasurable suffering and long-term economic and social inequities that hundreds of years of slavery and the “Jim Crow” era caused for Black Americans is wrong. I was wrong. We must never sanitize morally unsanitary, historical behaviors that have hindered the Black community, or any other community. There are no historical silver linings for the experience of our brothers and sisters. While disappointed in my flippant behavior on Twitter, those who know me best like Stony Burks, Pierre Woods and many others will confirm what they know to be true in my heart and head. Let this be another unfortunate example of exercising better caution and judgment on social media, not just to avoid infringing on your lifetime commitments, core values and ideals, but to help the march of even more progress for our melting pot. My sincerest apologies, again and profusely, to anyone I offended, to the great institution that is the University of Michigan and to the broader athletic community I have been honored to dedicate my life’s work with the integrity and decency inspired by my family over the decades. We have all made mistakes which is why I hope for forgiveness based on my expansive life’s work, and not any moment of indiscretion.

Michigan has not had a quiet offseason, from Jim Harbaugh’s NFL dalliance (again) to co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss’ alleged computer crimes. For now, this issue is being put behind the program, though it’s sure to plague the athletic department in the immediate future.

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Controversial Michigan football hire has resigned from post

There was a lot of backlash to the hire.

The only Schembechler in Schembechler Hall will remain the name.

Last week, it was announced that the multi-decade NFL scout Shemy Schembechler, son of legendary former Michigan football head coach Bo Schembechler, would be hired as the assistant director of recruiting. But his hire had come under increasing fire and scrutiny in recent days. Twitter users had uncovered a series of controversial likes on the platform, and thus there was palpable backlash from many in the fan base.

On Saturday, his tenure was announced as short-lived, as reports surfaced that indicated that Schembechler is no longer with the program in his new role.

Via the statement:

Effective this afternoon, Shemy Schembechler has resigned his position with Michigan football. We are aware of some comments and likes on social media that have caused concern and pain for individuals in our community. Michigan Athletics is fully committed to a place where our coaches, staff, and student-athletes feel welcome and where we fully support the University’s and Athletic Department’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Warde Manuel, Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics

Jim Harbaugh, J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach

More on this story as it develops.

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Michigan football hires former NFL scout and son of legendary coach to recruiting staff

Welcome home! #GoBlue

Michigan football isn’t only adding big-time recruits to the team or veteran players via the transfer portal. The maize and blue are also adding big names to the staff.

Michigan football has hired former NFL scout and son of the legendary coach Bo Schemebechler, Glenn ‘Shemy” Schembechler. Schembechler announced it himself on Twitter on Wednesday. He put the below tweet on Twitter saying “I’m beyond honored to return home..”

On his Twitter bio, it says his role on the team is the Assistant Director of Football Recruiting. The University of Michigan has yet to confirm the hire, but the deal appears to be as good as done.

Schembechler grew up in Ann Arbor while his father was coaching the team for nearly two decades. ‘Shemy’ has been a longtime NFL scout for over 20 years and his most recent job was with the Las Vegas Raiders where he was hired back in 2019. He was reportedly fired by the Raiders back in February.

He also was a scout for the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins (Commanders), and the Seattle Seahawks.

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