Glenn "Shemy" Schembechler, the 53-year-old son of former Michigan Wolverines head coach Bo Schembechler, has resigned as assistant recruiting director for the football team just three days after he was hired. He came under fire after problematic behavior on his Twitter account was unearthed in the days following his hiring.
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According to Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News, the resignation comes after "a litany of insensitive social media comments and likes." Following his resignation, the Wolverines football program — represented by head coach Jim Harbaugh and Athletic Director Warde Manuel — released a statement Saturday:
"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."
Shemy Schembechler, who announced earlier this week he was hired as assistant recruiting director, has resigned after a litany of insensitive social media comments and likes — statement tonight from Harbaugh and AD Warde Manuel pic.twitter.com/ByQXv20aJG
— angelique (@chengelis) May 20, 2023
Schembechler resigned on Saturday, when the Michigan statement was released. He released a personal statement Sunday night through a PR firm, according to MLive's Aaron McMann:
Schembechler's statement, continued: (2/2) pic.twitter.com/Q4uQ5hMqDr
— Aaron McMann (@AaronMcMann) May 22, 2023
"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. 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 and 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 yet 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 continue the march of even more progress for our melting pot. My sincerest apologies, again and profusely, to anyone I have 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."
Part of Schembechler's apology was to the "Black community." Heather Dinich of ESPN tweeted a screenshot of the statement.
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) May 22, 2023
Schembechler was hired to the position after previously serving as an NFL scout. He worked for the Las Vegas Raiders until February and had also worked for Washington, Chicago and Kansas City, per ESPN. Bo Schembechler coached the Wolverines for 21 seasons from 1969-1989, during which Michigan won or shared 13 Big Ten Conference titles but never won a national championship.
What Led to Shemy Schembechler's Resignation?
Screenshot from YouTube
Related: Where Does Jim Harbaugh's Legacy Fit in Michigan's Football Coaching History?
So, what were the liked tweets that led to the resignation?
At the time of this writing, Schembechler has deleted his Twitter account. However, ESPN's Heather Dinich reported he engaged on social media with insensitive posts, including "several suggesting slavery and Jim Crow had the positive effect of strengthening Black individuals and families."
Shemy Schembechler resigns from Michigan football after social media fallout. They will blame being “WOKE “ pic.twitter.com/2yB1xLi96B
— Black Mamba (@BlackMa22594604) May 21, 2023
it’s appalling that michigan hired shemy schembechler in any capacity pic.twitter.com/RDKDmoiHls
— ace (@AceAnbender) May 19, 2023
This isn't the first time Shemy Schembechler has been in the news for saying something controversial A couple years ago, he defended his dad after Bo was accused of covering up numerous instances of sexual assault by a disgraced team doctor.
The Schembechler Family's Dark Past
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Shemy is the third Schembechler to have the first name Glenn; his father, Glenn Schembechler, the junior, was nicknamed Bo.
In 2021, Shemy Schembechler spoke to Fox 2 Detroit about recent (at the time) allegations made against his father that he knew more than he was letting on about the claims of sexual abuse from former Michigan school doctor Dr. Robert Anderson.
The son of legendary college football coach Bo Schembechler says his father knew about sexual abuse by a former University of Michigan team doctor — and did nothing about it.@NancyChenNews spoke with Matt Schembechler, who says Dr. Robert Anderson molested him as a child. pic.twitter.com/Pvwbcps4hY
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 11, 2021
In the conversation, Schembechler III defended his father, saying the following:
"Knowing my mom and dad the way that I did, they would never put their children into harm's way to the level Matt is saying they did," Schembechler III said. "Millie and Bo absolutely loved their children. When Bo adopted all three of my brothers at the time, he absolutely welcomed them all into the family. And for them to put Matt into harm's way, I simply cannot believe it — knowing the Bo and Millie that I know, unequivocally. I'll say this Charlie, I really feel for Matt, but he is simply not speaking the truth."
On June 10, 2021, Matt Schembechler, an adopted son of Bo and Millie Schembechler, and two other former Michigan players spoke about the sexual abuse they said they suffered from Anderson. Matt said that telling Bo resulted in a "punch in the chest."
"When Bo got home, I told him what happened. He lost it," Matt said. "He screamed. 'I'm not hearing it.' And that was the beginning of the end."
The former players were Gilvanni Johnson (running back from 1982-1986) and Daniel Kwiatkowski (offensive lineman from 1977-1979).
In Jan. 2022, the University of Michigan reached a $460 million settlement with attorneys for more than 1,000 people who claimed they were abused by Dr. Robert Anderson, who worked at Michigan from 1966-2003 and died in 2008. Hundreds of students came forward against Anderson, including two-time Super Bowl champion Dwight Hicks.
"What happened to me in that room with Dr. Anderson, I have no words for," former San Francisco 49er safety Dwight Hicks told CNN. "I felt that I had to suck it up. I'm going to be a Michigan man. Maybe this is part of it."
