3 days after hire, Schembechler resigns from U-M
Three days after he was hired at Michigan, Glenn “Shemy” Schembechler, son of longtime Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler, resigned following social media activity that has “caused concern and pain,” according to a statement from the school.
“Effective this afternoon, Shemy Schembechler has resigned his position with Michigan Football,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a shared statement with coach Jim Harbaugh that was provided to ESPN on Saturday evening. “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.”
On Wednesday, Schembechler announced he had been hired as Michigan’s assistant director of football recruiting. He tweeted: “I’m beyond honored to return home to @UMichFootball! #GoBlue always and forever!”
A source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN that Schembechler went through a thorough background check during the hiring process.
His Twitter account, @shemyscout, was deactivated on Saturday. Schembechler had been a longtime NFL scout, most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders until February. He also scouted for Washington, Chicago and Kansas City. Schembechler spent more than a decade working for Washington’s organization.
According to the Detroit News, Schembechler’s Twitter timeline included “likes” of numerous offensive and insensitive posts, including several suggesting slavery and Jim Crow had the positive effect of strengthening Black individuals and families.
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for Michigan, which has incurred several off-field incidents since its appearance in the College Football Playoff. In January, the NCAA sent Michigan a notice of allegations against Harbaugh for allegedly misleading NCAA enforcement staff who were looking into possible violations during a COVID-19 recruiting dead period.
Later that month, Michigan announced it fired co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, who remains under investigation by university police for “a report of computer access crimes” at the school’s football facility.