John Harbaugh grew up watching and idolizing legendary college coach Bo Schembechler.
Now Harbaugh will be enshrined alongside Schembechler as two of the most honored and distinguished coaches to ever come through Miami University (Ohio).
Harbaugh, a 1984 graduate of Miami, will be inducted into the school's Cradle of Coaches Association and be immortalized with a full-body statue during a ceremony on Saturday, April 19. The ceremony will take place at Yager Stadium on Miami's campus.
"Miami is a very special place and as anyone who played or coached at Miami knows that the Cradle of Coaches is a great honor," Harbaugh said last year after the award was announced. "To me, there is no greater recognition in coaching. To be included with these great men is something I've only dreamed about."
Joining Schembechler is particularly significant for Harbaugh, as his father, Jack, spent seven years (1973-1979) as an assistant under Schembechler at Michigan. Harbaugh was a regular at Michigan practices during that time, and he has said that the time spent watching Schembechler and his father at work was critical in building his desire to become a head coach.
Schembechler's influence is evident within the Ravens, as his phrases like "The Team, The Team, The Team," hang on the walls within the Under Armour Performance Center.
Harbaugh and Schembechler are just two of an illustrious coaching circle in Miami's history. The other members of the Cradle of Coaches Association are Paul Brown, Earl "Red" Blaik, Carm Cozza, Paul Dietzel, Wilbur "Weeb" Ewbank, Ara Parseghian and John Pont.
Harbaugh and Ewbank are the only two members to lead their team to the Super Bowl. Brown also won three NFL World Championships with the Cleveland Browns in the 1950s in the pre-Super Bowl era.
Harbaugh attended Miami from 1980 to 1984, where he earned a degree in political science and played defensive back.
