Bo Leaving U of M to Run Detroit Tigers

Bo Schembechler, who earned fame as the hot-tempered football coach at Michigan, will devote his organizational skills to baseball and the Detroit Tigers.

The 60-year-old Schembechler, who finished with the fifth-best Division I-A college coaching record in history (234-65-8), was named Tigers president today by club owner Tom Monaghan.

Schembechler, who ended a 27-year football coaching career in Michigan’s 17-10 loss in the Rose Bowl last week, will resign as Michigan’s athletic director and succeed Jim Campbell, who is retiring, as chief executive officer of the Tigers.

As Michigan coach and athletic director, Schembechler was in charge of an $18-million budget, nearly $8 million of which was produced by football. He also raised nearly $12 million for a nearly completed football building to be called the Center of Champions.

It was those organizational skills that made Schembechler attractive to the Tigers.

“The business aspects of running a major-league ballclub can’t be too much different than what I was doing as athletic director at Michigan,” Schembechler said at a news conference also attended by Monaghan and Campbell.

“When I first came here (after graduation from Ohio State in 1949), one guy did everything,” said Campbell, who will be 66 in February. “Baseball’s not that way anymore. When you walk into a league meeting, you’re lucky if you recognize three people anymore. All the departments are specialized now.

“The key element to this job now is organization.”

Schembechler becomes the 12th president of the Tigers since the franchise entered the American League as a charter member in 1901.

Campbell will become chairman of the board, replacing John E. Fetzer, who will become chairman emeritus.

After losing the Rose Bowl to USC, Schembechler said he would stay in Ann Arbor.

“I will never be far away from Michigan,” Schembechler said. “I will always be available for consultation. I will forever be a Michigan man.”

Former Wolverine fullback Fritz Seyferth, associate director of development and alumni relations, is likely to succeed Schembechler as athletic director. Seyferth, 39, played on Schembechler’s first Michigan team, has served as recruiting coordinator and was in charge of raising the $12 million for the football building.