Bo Rein

College coach infobox
Name = Bo Rein

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Caption =
DateOfBirth = July 20, 1945
Birthplace =
DateOfDeath = death date and age|1980|1|10|1945|7|20
Sport = American football
College =
Title =
CurrentRecord =
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID = 1959
Player = Y
Years = 1965-1967
Team = Ohio State University
Position = Running back
FootballHOF =
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1976-79
CoachTeams = North Carolina State University

Robert Edward "Bo" Rein (July 20, 1945 - January 10, 1980) was a noted two-sport college athlete in the United States, and a rising college football head coach before his tragic death in an aircraft accident in 1980. Rein is the namesake of post-season player awards at two universities.

Bo Rein was born and raised in Niles, Ohio, where he is still remembered as a legendary high school athlete for the Niles McKinley Red Dragons. 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.

Baseball career

Rein played baseball for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1965 through 1967, helping that school win the 1966 College World Series, its only NCAA Baseball title. Rein variously played either shortstop or left field. He led his team in stolen bases in 1965 and 1966, and in doubles and scoring 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 both years to the All Tournament team. In 1965 the Buckeyes lost the championship game to Arizona State University. In 1966 Ohio State won the championship, defeating Oklahoma State University. In the championship game, Rein contributed with 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.

Football career

Football playing

Rein was a three-year starter at left halfback for the Ohio State University football team, from 1964 to 1966. 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."

Football coaching

Lou Holtz, a former assistant coach at Ohio State, had taken the head coaching position at William and Mary in 1969, and Holtz offered a job to Rein. When Holtz accepted an offer from North Carolina State University in 1972, Rein went with him. Holtz moved on to the NFL and the New York Jets in 1976, and Rein stayed at North Carolina State as the new head coach.

Rein became the youngest college football head coach upon his 1976 hiring by North Carolina State University. Guiding the Wolfpack, Rein was an advocate of the coaching philosophy of Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes. During Rein's four years with the school, he led the team to two bowl games, defeating Iowa State in the 1977 Peach Bowl and defeating the University of Pittsburgh in the 1978 Tangerine Bowl. In Rein's final year at North Carolina State, the team won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

Following every season, North Carolina State 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 North Carolina State by Louisiana State University. In January 1980, Rein took a recruiting trip to Shreveport, Louisiana. On his return trip back to Baton Rouge, on January 10th, his private aircraft crashed leaving no survivors. [ [http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/01/05/bcs_bo_rein.ART_ART_01-05-08_C1_I28VJCT.html BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Promising start ended tragically ] ]

Rein and experienced pilot Louis Benscotter left Shreveport in a Cessna Conquest aircraft. The flight was supposed to be a 40-minute trip, but after going east to avoid a storm, air traffic control lost contact with Benscotter. 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 [ [http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=32586&key=0 IAD80AA018 ] ] but was most likely cabin depressurization causing Hypoxia, a lack of oxygen, [http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1980/1980-2.htm] 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 variety of defendants, including the Cessna Aircraft Co., Cruse Aviation Inc., who serviced the plane, and Nichols Construction Corp. who owned it. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE1D8123BF935A15753C1A964948260 Settlement Made In Bo Rein Suit - New York Times ] ]

Rein, one of the most promising young coaches in football history, was dead at 34, before he ever coached a game for LSU. Cessna later settled out of court with his widow for an undisclosed amount. Out of respect, LSU paid for his 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=620289 The tragic story of Bo Rein from Rivals.com]