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Glenn 'Shemy' Schembechler III, the son of late legendary former University of Michigan head football coach Bo Schembechler, apologized Sunday (May 21) night for offensive actions on social media that led to him resigning from his position as the Wolverines' assistant director of football recruiting three days after being hired.
Schembechler, 53, acknowledged that he engaged in "flippant behavior on Twitter," which included liking multiple posts in which other users suggested that slavery and Jim Crow strengthened Black people.
"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," Schembechler said in a statement released through an Arizona based public relations firm obtained by ESPN. "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."
Schembechler's Twitter account, @shemyscout, was deactivated as of Saturday (May 20), the same day he announced his resignation, days after being hired by the school last Wednesday (May 17).
"We are aware of some comments and likes on social media that have caused concern and pain for individuals in our community," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel and head football coach Jim Harbaugh said in a joint statement on behalf of the athletic department obtained by ESPN. "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 previously worked as an NFL scout, which included most recently working with the Las Vegas Raiders until February, as well as past stints with the now-Washington Commanders for more than a decade, as well as the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs.
Bo Schembechler, a College Football Hall of Famer, is the winningest coach in Michigan history, leading the program to 194 wins and 13 Big Ten championships during his 21 seasons in Ann Arbor.