The Michigan Wolverines football program turned heads when it fired Glenn “Shemy” Schembechler, the son of longtime head coach Bo Schembechler.
The younger Schembechler forced the university’s hands when social media sleuths revealed his Twitter “likes” included transphobic tweets, political conspiracies, and multiple racially insensitive posts that implied slavery and Jim Crow were an overall benefit to Black people.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke on the firing for the first time Thursday.
“I’ve known Shem a long time, but there are no sacred cows. According to Austin Meek of That’she Athletic, t not who we are,” Harbaugh said. Meek also noted Harbaugh revealed that Michigan had replaced the firm responsible for vetting the social media profiles of prospective hires.
The CFB world was quick to react to the news after Jim Harbaugh spoke:
Tough month of May for Cronyism, Inc. as they lost the big U of M contract https://t.co/juaPP7dpKR
— Jason Morrow (@JasonMorrow270) June 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/GeorgeRW1981/status/1664349666547253249
Given how amazingly fast this all fell apart, I'd really like some intrepid reporter to FOIA whatever report Michigan got from this company https://t.co/Xtr2a2Mq7m
— PodKATT (@valleyshook) June 1, 2023
You can choose to believe this, or you can accept reality that Harbaugh is only saying this because he has to. https://t.co/fGdTMWv8tx
— Gonzaga Illegal Invaders Fan (@BreslinBirds) June 1, 2023
https://t.co/aJDuQ5syjV pic.twitter.com/hW8AIpNoPa
— Bom Tombadill (@CT_In_TC) June 1, 2023
Schembechler initially admitted wrongdoing in a statement prepared by a public relations firm immediately after the firing.
“My entire life and that of my Dad and family have been devoted to the best in people — no matter their race, religion or creed,” Schembechler said.
“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…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.”