Glenn "Shemy" Schembechler, in a lengthy statement, said he has promoted "Black excellence" throughout his career in football, and that the Black players he has known are among the "great influences" in his life.
Schembechler, the son of the late former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, resigned Saturday, three days after he announced on social media he had been hired as assistant director of Michigan football recruiting. His Twitter timeline featured a number of posts and "likes" of multiple offensive and insensitive comments, including several suggesting slavery and Jim Crow were a positive to strengthen Black individuals and families.
By Saturday afternoon, he had scrubbed more than 2,000 "likes" and retweets from his Twitter timeline, and by Saturday night he had deactivated his account.
In his statement released by a PR firm late Sunday, Schembechler said any commentary that diminishes the "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."
He went on to say he was "disappointed" in his "flippant behavior on Twitter," then cited individuals, including Pierre Woods, a former Michigan football player who is Black, "will confirm what they know to be true in my heart and head."
"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," Schembechler said in the statement.
It is unclear how these actions slipped through any pre-employment check Schembechler went through at Michigan. Michigan's Standard Practice Guide Policy regarding hiring to the university indicates every employee is subject to a background check. According to the guide: "This policy is intended to support the verification of credentials, criminal history, and other information related to employment and appointment decisions that assist the University in meeting its commitments."
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel issued a joint statement late last Saturday announcing Schembechler had 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," the joint statement read. "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."
Schembechler had spent the previous 25 years as an NFL scout, including a decade with Washington. He most recently worked for the Las Vegas Raiders, before he reportedly was fired in February.
His late father, Bo Schembechler, for whom Michigan's football building is named, has been linked to controversy since a report surfaced in 2020 regarding sexual abuse during physical examinations from football team doctor Robert Anderson. Schembechler allegedly did not properly address complaints from his players. A year ago, Michigan agreed to a $450 million settlement with Anderson's victims.
Shemy Schembechler, in his statement, frequently referenced his "dad" and family as he offered apologies "profusely" to anyone offended, said, "we all have made mistakes" and is hoping for "forgiveness based on my expansive life's work, and not any moment of indiscretion."
This is the latest in a number of issues the football program has navigated in recent months. Michigan received a draft of an NCAA Notice of Allegations in January for alleged violations including a Level I — the NCAA's most severe — against Harbaugh for allegedly misleading investigators looking into violations during a COVID-19 recruiting dead period.
Later that month, Matt Weiss, who had been co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, was fired after the UM Police Department opened an investigation into alleged computer crimes at Schembechler Hall, the football building. The investigation remains ongoing.
Last October, running back Donovan Edwards released two statements after he was found to have retweeted an antisemitic comment in a Kanye West video. Edwards later tweeted he is "unequivocally against racism, exploitation & oppression in all forms, including stereotyping and trafficking in hate.
