Bo Rein
Encyclopedia
Robert Edward "Bo" Rein (July 20, 1945 – January 10, 1980) was an American football
and baseball
player and football coach. He was a two-sport athlete at Ohio State University
and served as the head football coach at North Carolina State University
from 1976 to 1979, compiling a record of 27–18–1. Following the 1979 season, Rein had assumed the role as head coach at Louisiana State University
, but was killed in an aircraft accident in January 1980 before ever coached a game there. Rein is the namesake of football player awards at Ohio State and NC State.
, where he is still remembered as a legendary high school athlete for the Red Dragons of Niles McKinley High School
. Rein played at Niles during their heyday, when the Red Dragons under coach Tony Mason were one of the top big school powerhouses in high school football in Ohio
.
from 1965 through 1967, helping the Buckeyes
win the 1966 College World Series
, the school's only NCAA
baseball title. Rein played shortstop
and left field
. He led his team in stolen base
s in 1965 and 1966, and in double
s and runs
in 1966. Rein had 49 career stolen bases, which stood as a team record until he was surpassed by Roy Marsh in the early 1990s.
In 1965 and 1966, Ohio State participated in the College World Series
, and Rein was selected in both years to the All Tournament team. In 1965, the Buckeyes lost the championship game to Arizona State. In 1966, Ohio State won the championship, defeating Oklahoma State
. In the championship game, Rein contributed a double.
After he finished his college career, Rein was drafted by the Cleveland Indians
. He was playing for the Portland Beavers
, the Indians' Triple-A
farm team
, when Achilles tendon
and hamstring
problems ended his baseball career.
for the Ohio State Buckeyes football
team. He led his team in receptions in 1964 and 1965, and in rushing in 1966. Rein finished at Ohio State the team career receptions leader. Following his Ohio State career, Rein was drafted by the Baltimore Colts
.
Former teammate, and later Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
, Greg Lashutka
said of Rein, "He wasn't the biggest guy, but pound for pound he was tough as they come. He had that inner drive and did everything to the fullest. He could play." A continuing tradition at Ohio State is that at the end of every season, the team votes to award one teammate the "Bo Rein Most Inspirational Player Award."
, a former assistant coach at Ohio State, had taken the head coaching position at William & Mary in 1969, and Holtz offered an assistant coaching job to Rein. When Holtz accepted an offer from North Carolina State University
in 1972, Rein went with him. In 1975, Rein was hired as offensive coordinator
for the University of Arkansas
under Frank Broyles
and helped the Razorbacks win the Southwest Conference and the 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic
.
When Holtz moved on to New York Jets
of the NFL
in 1976, Rein became the youngest college football head coach upon his hiring by North Carolina State. Guiding the NC State Wolfpack football
team, Rein was an advocate of the coaching philosophy of Ohio State's Woody Hayes
for whom Rein played. During Rein's four years at NC State, he led the team to two bowl game
s, defeating Iowa State
in the 1977 Peach Bowl
and defeating the Pittsburgh
in the 1978 Tangerine Bowl
. In Rein's final year at NC State, his team won the Atlantic Coast Conference
championship.
Among Rein's top players at NC State were Outland Trophy
winner Jim Ritcher
, a center
for the Wolfpack who later started at guard
on four Super Bowl
teams with the Buffalo Bills
, and linebacker
Bill Cowher
, who later coached the Pittsburgh Steelers
for 15 seasons and won Super Bowl XL
.
Following every season, the NC State football team awards the "Bo Rein Award" to a player that makes a vital contribution in an unsung role.
. In January 1980, Rein took a recruiting trip to Shreveport, Louisiana
. On his January 10 return trip back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, his private aircraft crashed leaving no survivors.
Rein and experienced pilot, Louis Benscotter, left Shreveport in a Cessna 441
aircraft. The flight was planned to be a 40-minute trip, but when Benscotter rerouted east to avoid a storm, air traffic control lost contact with him. The plane climbed to 40,000 feet and kept heading due east. After being tracked on radar, the plane was eventually intercepted by U.S. National Guard aircraft over North Carolina
, a thousand miles off course and at an altitude of 41,600 feet, 6,600 feet higher than its maximum certified ceiling. The military pilots could not see anyone in the cockpit. The plane continued on over the Atlantic Ocean
, where it crashed after running out of fuel. The military pilots spotted some debris, but no wreckage was ever recovered. The bodies of Rein and Benscotter were never found.
The cause of the crash is undetermined but was most likely cabin depressurization causing hypoxia
, a lack of oxygen, resulting in the occupants losing consciousness.
In 1982, Rein's widow, Suzanne Kay, reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount after filing a $10 million damage suit against a number of defendants, including the Cessna Aircraft Company
, Cruse Aviation Inc., who serviced the plane, and Nichols Construction Corporation, who owned it. Cessna later settled out of court with his widow for an undisclosed amount.
Out of respect, LSU paid for Rein's children's college educations at the universities of their choice. Former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes gave the eulogy at Rein's funeral in Niles, Ohio.
In 1980, Niles McKinley High School's famous Riverside Stadium was renamed "Bo Rein Memorial Stadium," in honor of one of Niles' greatest athletes and one of its most famous native sons.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and football coach. He was a two-sport athlete at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and served as the head football coach at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
from 1976 to 1979, compiling a record of 27–18–1. Following the 1979 season, Rein had assumed the role as head coach at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, but was killed in an aircraft accident in January 1980 before ever coached a game there. Rein is the namesake of football player awards at Ohio State and NC State.
Early years
Rein was born and raised in Niles, OhioNiles, Ohio
Niles is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The city's population was 20,932 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, where he is still remembered as a legendary high school athlete for the Red Dragons of Niles McKinley High School
Niles McKinley High School
Niles McKinley High School is a four-year public high school in Niles, Ohio.As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 932 students and 46.0 classroom teachers Niles McKinley High School is a four-year public high school in Niles, Ohio.As of the 2005-06 school year, the school...
. Rein played at Niles during their heyday, when the Red Dragons under coach Tony Mason were one of the top big school powerhouses in high school football in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Baseball career
Rein played baseball at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
from 1965 through 1967, helping the Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes baseball
The Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team are the college baseball team of The Ohio State University. The program, founded in 1881, was the first athletic team in Ohio State history. Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio has been the home field of the program since 1997. The team has won a National...
win the 1966 College World Series
1966 College World Series
The 1966 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 13 to June 18. The twentieth tournament's champion was Ohio State University, coached by Marty Karow...
, the school's only NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
baseball title. Rein played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
. He led his team in stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 1965 and 1966, and in double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s and runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in 1966. Rein had 49 career stolen bases, which stood as a team record until he was surpassed by Roy Marsh in the early 1990s.
In 1965 and 1966, Ohio State participated in the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
, and Rein was selected in both years to the All Tournament team. In 1965, the Buckeyes lost the championship game to Arizona State. In 1966, Ohio State won the championship, defeating Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball
Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball is the NCAA Division I collegiate baseball team of Oklahoma State University based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.The Oklahoma State baseball program is among the most storied and successful in the country. The program has won 30 conference championships as well as 19...
. In the championship game, Rein contributed a double.
After he finished his college career, Rein was drafted by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. He was playing for the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, the Indians' Triple-A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, when Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
problems ended his baseball career.
Football playing career
From 1964 to 1966, Rein was a three-year starter at left halfbackHalfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for the Ohio State Buckeyes football
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
team. He led his team in receptions in 1964 and 1965, and in rushing in 1966. Rein finished at Ohio State the team career receptions leader. Following his Ohio State career, Rein was drafted by the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
.
Former teammate, and later Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Greg Lashutka
Greg Lashutka
Gregory S. Lashutka is a lawyer, who served as the 51st mayor of Columbus, Ohio, from 1992 to 2000. He is an Eagle Scout and had earlier been an American football player.-College Athletics:...
said of Rein, "He wasn't the biggest guy, but pound for pound he was tough as they come. He had that inner drive and did everything to the fullest. He could play." A continuing tradition at Ohio State is that at the end of every season, the team votes to award one teammate the "Bo Rein Most Inspirational Player Award."
Football coaching career
Lou HoltzLou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
, a former assistant coach at Ohio State, had taken the head coaching position at William & Mary in 1969, and Holtz offered an assistant coaching job to Rein. When Holtz accepted an offer from North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
in 1972, Rein went with him. In 1975, Rein was hired as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
under Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
and helped the Razorbacks win the Southwest Conference and the 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic
1976 Cotton Bowl Classic
The 1976 Cotton Bowl Classic was a post-season college football bowl game between the co-Southwest Conference champion #18 Arkansas Razorbacks and the #12 Georgia Bulldogs. Arkansas defeated Georgia, 31-10 in front of 77,500 spectators.-Arkansas:...
.
When Holtz moved on to New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in 1976, Rein became the youngest college football head coach upon his hiring by North Carolina State. Guiding the NC State Wolfpack football
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
team, Rein was an advocate of the coaching philosophy of Ohio State's Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
for whom Rein played. During Rein's four years at NC State, he led the team to two bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s, defeating Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
in the 1977 Peach Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
and defeating the Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
in the 1978 Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. In Rein's final year at NC State, his team won the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championship.
Among Rein's top players at NC State were Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
winner Jim Ritcher
Jim Ritcher
-Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by...
, a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Wolfpack who later started at guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
on four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
teams with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
, who later coached the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
for 15 seasons and won Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
.
Following every season, the NC State football team awards the "Bo Rein Award" to a player that makes a vital contribution in an unsung role.
Death
Following the 1979 season, Rein was hired away from NC State by Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. In January 1980, Rein took a recruiting trip to Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. On his January 10 return trip back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, his private aircraft crashed leaving no survivors.
Rein and experienced pilot, Louis Benscotter, left Shreveport in a Cessna 441
Cessna 441
-See also:-External links:* *...
aircraft. The flight was planned to be a 40-minute trip, but when Benscotter rerouted east to avoid a storm, air traffic control lost contact with him. The plane climbed to 40,000 feet and kept heading due east. After being tracked on radar, the plane was eventually intercepted by U.S. National Guard aircraft over North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, a thousand miles off course and at an altitude of 41,600 feet, 6,600 feet higher than its maximum certified ceiling. The military pilots could not see anyone in the cockpit. The plane continued on over the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, where it crashed after running out of fuel. The military pilots spotted some debris, but no wreckage was ever recovered. The bodies of Rein and Benscotter were never found.
The cause of the crash is undetermined but was most likely cabin depressurization causing hypoxia
Hypoxia (medical)
Hypoxia, or hypoxiation, is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. Variations in arterial oxygen concentrations can be part of the normal physiology, for example, during strenuous physical exercise...
, a lack of oxygen, resulting in the occupants losing consciousness.
In 1982, Rein's widow, Suzanne Kay, reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount after filing a $10 million damage suit against a number of defendants, including the Cessna Aircraft Company
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
, Cruse Aviation Inc., who serviced the plane, and Nichols Construction Corporation, who owned it. Cessna later settled out of court with his widow for an undisclosed amount.
Out of respect, LSU paid for Rein's children's college educations at the universities of their choice. Former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes gave the eulogy at Rein's funeral in Niles, Ohio.
In 1980, Niles McKinley High School's famous Riverside Stadium was renamed "Bo Rein Memorial Stadium," in honor of one of Niles' greatest athletes and one of its most famous native sons.