Forty Years in The Big House: Michigan Tales from My Four Decades as a Wolverine

by Jon Falk, Dan Ewald, Jim Harbaugh (Foreword by)

Overview

An inside look at the University of Michigan’s football program from the man who was the team’s equipment manager for more than four decades
 
Forty years ago, Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk began his legacy, becoming a living encyclopedia of Michigan football tradition and history. Hired by Bo Schembechler in 1974, the now retired Falk shares his firsthand, inside stories from in the locker room, on the sideline, and on the road with one of college football’s most storied institutions. He may not be as well known as the Big House or the Little Brown Jug, but among coaches, players, and a good portion of the Michigan football faithful, Jon Falk has fashioned a lively legend of his own. Falk’s recollections connect the past and present to highlight the importance of the relationships created during the best four years of any college player’s life and it’s those relationships that drive the Wolverines to success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629370736
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jon Falk is the now retired equipment manager for the University of Michigan football team. For four decades he embodied the team’s traditions and history as a living encyclopedia, mentor, and friend to players, coaches, and proud alumni. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dan Ewald is a former newspaper writer and longtime public relations director for the Detroit Tigers. He is the author of 12 books, including works with Sparky Anderson, Bo Schembechler, Al Kaline, George Kell, and Ron Kramer. He lives in Troy, Michigan. Jim Harbaugh is a former Michigan quarterback who served as head coach of Stanford and the San Francisco 49ers before returning to Michigan as head coach. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Read an Excerpt

Forty Years in the Big House

Michigan Tales from my Four Decades as a Wolverine

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By Jon Falk, Dan Ewald

Triumph Books

Copyright © 2015 Jon Falk and Dan Ewald
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62937-073-6

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CHAPTER 1

Life with Bo

Soon after Jon Falk moved to Ann Arbor, he spent a lot of evening dinners at the Schembechler residence. At the time, Falk was living in a postage-stamp-size-second-floor apartment located in the clubhouse of the university golf course. He could lean his back up against one wall and stretch his legs up against the opposite wall.

Bo's wife, Millie, never did see the inside of that apartment, but she did sense that Falk was lonesome from worrying about his mother and grandmother back in Oxford, Ohio. So Millie tried to make Falk, a man in his early 20s, feel more comfortable and at home. Falk enjoyed those meals with the Schembechler family, which included fine cooking and good conversation. It also offered Bo and Jon the opportunity to establish a friendship that stretched far beyond the football field.

One evening after dinner, Millie, Bo, the kids, and Falk were sitting around the table when a question from Millie silenced all of the small talk. "Sometimes you appear to be somewhat fearful of Bo," she innocently inquired. "Is that the case?"

Falk took a half-glass gulp of water and quickly looked at the faces around the table. The boys were giggling. Bo got that glaze of curiosity in his eyes. And Millie simply smiled politely.

"I'm not exactly sure about what you mean by fearful of Bo," Falk began carefully. "But I sure do respect him an awful lot."

Everybody around the table broke into a relieved laugh, and Falk felt he had been accepted into the family in a most peculiar way. "You really had to stay close to Bo to understand all the nuances of his strength and commitment to his teams," Falk said. "He also had that commitment to the University of Michigan and all the friends he made along the way. I was fortunate to have gotten so close to him. It was a lifelong learning process. So many laughs and lessons to be learned along the way."

Bo would have remained coaching Michigan, but his cardiologist friend, Dr. Kim Eagle, recommended his stepping away from the stress of coaching after the Rose Bowl game of January 1990. Even Falk was shocked at that news. A few days later, Bo dropped another bomb that shook the foundation of college football and Major League Baseball at the same time.

Bo was going to become a Detroit Tiger.

Not as the manager. Not even as a coach.

Falk got one of the heartiest laughs on his best buddy after Bo returned from his press conference at Tiger Stadium to announce he had been named president of the Detroit Tigers. Implausible as such a notion like that sounded, Bo confirmed it was true. After a short visit to his office, Bo went to the football locker room for a workout designed to help him relax and to help his heart become healthier.

After opening his locker, Bo felt a shock even bigger than the announcement. He immediately shouted for Falk. Emerging from a corner, Falk walked up to Bo.

"What's the matter here, Bo?" Falk had to fight to keep from laughing.

"Where's my workout stuff?" Bo barked at Falk. "My shoes. My shirt. My shorts. All my stuff. My whole damn locker is empty."

Members of the coaching staff had to fight off their own laughter while hiding in corners of the room. "Well, Bo," Falk struggled to remain straight, "they told me you were no longer with the University of Michigan. They say you're a Detroit Tiger now."

It had become customary that when an assistant coach or member of the staff retired or moved to another job, Bo would call Falk and inform him to clean out the departing person's locker. "Falk," Bo would bark into the phone, "[so and so] is leaving. Clean out the locker. He's gone. He's not working for the University of Michigan anymore."

"Well, they come and they go, Hobbs," Falk would relay to Bo when the locker was empty. "They come and they go."

That classic line is from the baseball novel The Natural written by the celebrated Bernard Malamud and made into a movie starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs.

This time, the surprise was on Bo.

Falk let his friend stew for a moment. "Well," Falk finally drawled. "You know what happens around here. They come and they go, Hobbs ...they come and they go."

Falk finally broke into a laugh. So did all the assistant coaches and team staff members, who crawled out from behind their hiding corners.

The bond between Bo and Falk became even stronger after the Tigers were sold, and Bo was relieved of his duties. After Millie died, Bo married Cathy, and the couple became world travelers. Of course, all trips were put on hold until after the football season. Bo entrusted Falk to take care of the Schembechler home while the couple was away. But the ol' coach made sure never to impinge upon Falk's principal responsibilities to the football program.

Falk already was well-entrenched in his primary job, so there was no conflict with helping his friend. "I never really thought of our relationship as best friends," Falk reflected about Bo. "My gig was to work and do things for the head football coach. No matter who that was, I always felt proud about the fact that every coach at Michigan could depend on me. I liked that. I liked the confidence of dependability. That's one of the things I miss most. I miss it because that was my identity. Someone used to call on me when there was a problem they couldn't fix themselves. That's the part I miss. Bo probably put more pressure on me because he knew I could get the problem taken care of quickly. I enjoyed that feeling. It was a lifetime learning process for me, and no one in the country had a better time than I did."

Falk admits he probably underestimated how much Bo came to rely on him to fix an assortment of little problems. "You have to remember that no matter how good a friend is, there still is an employer/employee relationship that must be upheld," Falk said. "There were times when Bo would have me go to his house or go on a short trip with him. But he always made sure I tended to my team responsibilities first."

The first consideration was always the team.

From Falk's first day on the job in February 1974 and throughout the years, Bo always reminded Falk that the most important role he had was to "help the Michigan team to win the Little Brown Jug, the Paul Bunyan Trophy, and above all the Big Ten championships."

After 40 years in that same position, coaches, staffs, players, and fans in every city of the Big Ten and the bowl games came to recognize the most experienced man in his position. "I was so fortunate to have the best school and best teams anywhere in the country," Falk told Bo about a week before the coach's death. "I thank you for the opportunity you gave me."

Bo eyed his friend with a peaceful look — one that suggested their friendship would be eternal. "Nothing truly good is ever just given to anyone," Bo said. "You made the position better than it was when you started. That honor belongs to you. No one else can claim that. You've come a long way from Oxford, Ohio. You're going be remembered around here for a long time."

One of the most satisfying visits that Bo made was to meet with General Norman Schwarzkopf when the celebrated warrior and commander of Desert Storm was in Detroit. The general and Bo had a terrific time swapping stories about the direction of the country and which political party is better suited to make the necessary fixes to ensure peace and prosperity throughout the country. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was admired by Bo. One of Bo's favorite quotes from the general was: "I admire men of character and I judge character not by how a man deals with his superiors, but mostly how he deals with his subordinates. That is where you find out what the character of a man is." Bo was just like that. He treated all of his subordinates with great respect.

It should not be surprising that Bo's and Jon's political convictions happen to coincide so closely with the general's. Bo was invited, along with the entire 1997 National Championship football team, to the White House in April of 1998. However, being the staunch Republican he was, he politely refused. Bo never compromised his convictions regardless of the title in front of someone's title or name. A couple of months after Bo died, President Clinton spoke at the university's commencement held in The Big House. "I'd also like to acknowledge I'm here in the football stadium which I have watched on television a hundred times, that this is the first graduation to occur after the passing of Bo Schembechler, who, as most of you know, was quite an ardent Republican," Bill Clinton said. "As I walked in here today on university soil, I considered a philosophical question that I had never before considered, which is whether it is possible still to switch parties in the afterlife and whether it would be moral to pray for such a result."

Of course, all the people on the field and all of the parents and relatives of the graduates laughed appropriately at Clinton's remarks. But despite their political and philosophical differences, Falk is quite certain the president and Bo would have had an enjoyable evening trading stories from their lives' experiences. Clinton also took the time to relay to the students how proud he was to walk down that tunnel where so many success stories — including President Ford's time as a student and player — began in The Big House.

Falk came to realize that as much as he felt fulfilled by being able to help people out of any kind of jam, Bo might have felt even more fulfilled helping those who needed it. When it finally struck Bo that he could extend that help to more people in retirement, he accepted that opportunity. "He became more relaxed and didn't feel any pressure," Falk said. "Just like I did, Bo truly enjoyed helping other people. He had the power to pick up a phone and pretty much get done whatever he thought was the right thing to do."

For instance, the list of celebrities for Bo's first charity golf tournament during his first year of retirement fell a couple of players short a few days before the event. Not a problem for Bo. He placed one phone call to baseball legend Pete Rose. He placed another to Yogi Berra. With two quick calls, the roster was complete. "Now that's filling an All-Star roster, Falk," he joked with his friend.

Falk was deeply moved by one of Bo's observations on retirement. "The thing that Bo always said was, 'Nobody got me,'" Falk said. "'Nobody fired me. Nobody had to tell me when to get out. I did it myself. I did it my way.'"

Falk knew how critical it was to Bo to leave Michigan in better shape than when he arrived. "Bo didn't have to worry about the condition of the program he was turning over to Gary Moeller and his staff," Falk said. "He restored the relevance of Michigan football and set the table for decades to come."

He also was instrumental helping to get Michigan players into the College Football Hall of Fame. He made sure the voters knew what type of man a Michigan Man really is. And Falk is grateful for the many friendships he developed from his long relationship with Bo even after Bo left Michigan to serve as Tigers president. "It's impossible not to like Big Jon," said longtime Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell. "He treats everyone like he's known them all their lives. I'm a sports junkie just like Jon, and it's fun to get his take on anything that happens in the world of sports. He's a good man, always ready to lend a hand."

Falk's favorite baseball friend was Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson. Sparky was ill the summer before he died in November of 2010. Nevertheless, he willed his way to visit his friends in Ann Arbor in July. "I remember the look on RichRod's face when he looked up from his desk and saw Sparky staring at him," Falk said. "Sparky made Rich feel like he had come there just to see him. That's the kind of guy Sparky was. Actually, I think Sparky was not feeling well and wanted to visit as many friends as he could. He wanted to reminisce that day, and we spent a lot of time talkin' about the Tigers and his Cincinnati Reds teams. I miss Bo and Sparky every day."

When Tommy Amaker coached Michigan basketball before moving to Harvard, Falk and Amaker developed a personal relationship. "Tommy called one day and asked me to visit his office," Falk said. "He said he had been checking around about me and received a lot of the same compliments from several sources. They said I was honest and upfront. That's what any coach in any sport needs to be successful. Bobby Knight said the same thing. And so did Tom Izzo."

Knight, the legendary Indiana basketball coach, was asked by the University of Michigan to deliver a eulogy to Bo on the field in The Big House immediately before Bo's burial. Knight agreed, but only if Michigan promised to have Falk read it.

CHAPTER 2

Bo's Boy

Sometime during Bo Schembechler's 21-year coaching career at the University of Michigan and Jon Falk's 40-year marathon stint as Michigan football equipment manager, Falk was teasing Bo in his office. One day Bo needed a dollar for the vending machine. Falk was walking by, so Bo asked Jon if he had a dollar to buy a Coke. When Falk pulled out his billfold, Bo noticed a lottery ticket. "What the hell do you have that for?" Bo asked. "We pay you well, and you will never find a better job than this one."

Falk replied, "Coach, the minute my ticket hits, I'm walking straight into your office and I'm going to tell you, 'Jon Falk is out of here.'" Bo started at Falk and then finally started to grin, "Boy, Jon, before you do all of that, you better make sure you have all six numbers."

The two friends laughed. They were sparring partners and loved to tease each other. Bo knew his loyal friend would never leave the University of Michigan even if he did hit the jackpot. The university was his home. The football program was his life.

Finally after 40 years in the job Falk treasured even more than a giant pizza and a couple of cold Diet Cokes on a Saturday night after a victory, he stepped down after the 2013 season. But even in his well-earned retirement, Falk still is regarded as being one of "Bo's Boys." He's proud of that distinction and all of the things he learned about football and life from Bo. For Falk, being one of Bo's Boys is a legitimate badge of honor.

Falk was just 23 years old when he was personally recruited by Bo out of Miami of Ohio, where Bo had been the head coach, and Falk was still an assistant equipment manager. Bo was a master recruiter. Always was. What and who he really wanted, he usually wound up getting. Not just a train load of offensive players blessed with brute finesse. And not merely a collection of speedy mayhem makers for his always destructive defense.

Bo had a gift for mixing a beautiful blend of assistant coaches and football staff members who shared his basic philosophy: "No man is more important than the team." Bo's words will live forever, like "No coach is more important than the team. The team. The team. The team." Bo spotted that gift of loyalty in Falk and wasn't going to lose him. Bo was always good at spotting potential and then cherry picking the best.

Bo liked the way Falk was organized in the distribution of uniforms and equipment to the team. He also liked Falk's knack for keeping order and just the right balance of humor and calm in the locker room. He saw how Falk anticipated any potential problems. And if one began to fester, Falk possessed the ingenuity to fix it before it sped out of control.

Falk was reliable. Honest. Trustworthy. Above all else he was more loyal than a priceless, hand-crafted Swiss clock. He knew when a secret had to be kept between the head coach and himself. He knew when it was time to say a few words to lift a player at just the right time. He instilled a sense of confidence that made players feel prepared, confident, and comfortable — on the field and in the locker room.

So when needing a head equipment manager at Michigan, Bo hand-picked Falk to join him with the Wolverines in 1974. It wasn't easy finalizing the deal. And it had nothing to do with a salary impasse. It was, in fact, a sensitive situation that challenged Bo to harness all of his recruiting talents — and a few he kept deep in his pockets for sticky and stubborn situations such as this — to get the job done.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Forty Years in the Big House by Jon Falk, Dan Ewald. Copyright © 2015 Jon Falk and Dan Ewald. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Foreword Jim Harbaugh 11

Preface 15

Introduction 17

Chapter 1 Life with Bo 21

Chapter 2 Bo's Boy 31

Chapter 3 A Material Man 39

Chapter 4 "The Indispensable Man" 45

Chapter 5 Knowing the Coaches 53

Chapter 6 The Prime Seat 59

Chapter 7 Retirement 67

Chapter 8 Tradition 73

Chapter 9 History of the Gameday Banner 79

Chapter 10 Recruiting 83

Chapter 11 The Harbaugh Boys 91

Chapter 12 Inspiring Words 97

Chapter 13 Bo Changes 105

Chapter 14 Home Sweet Home 111

Chapter 15 In the Face of Woody Hayes 117

Chapter 16 A.C 121

Chapter 17 Curtis Greer 125

Chapter 18 John Wangler 127

Chapter 19 Woody Passed the Ball 131

Chapter 20 Tom Brady and Barry Larkin 135

Chapter 21 How 'Bout Them Boots? 141

Chapter 22 Did You Rob That Bank? 145

Chapter 23 Enemy Found and Captured 149

Chapter 24 A Football Dream 151

Chapter 25 A Fitting Farewell 155

Chapter 26 Forty Years of Memories 163

Chapter 27 One More Time 207

Epilogue: Helping Harbaugh 211

Inside the Numbers 213

Acknowledgments 215