Photograph courtesy Miami University
A packed, standing-room-only crowd gathered in Paycor Stadium’s CareSource Club level last month to celebrate the premiere of Cradle of Coaches, a documentary about Miami University’s famed coaching fraternity, streaming on Peacock now.
Thanks to Bob Kurz, a 1958 Miami graduate and former sports information director who coined the term, football fans across America know the contributions made to the game by coaches connected to Miami, from Paul Brown to Sean McVay.
Born from a passing comment during a commercial shoot, the final documentary features interviews with a number of former players and coaches, including Dick LeBeau, Andrew Whitworth, and John Harbaugh.
During the documentary preview event, attendees saw exclusive clips and heard insight from several panelists, including former Ohio State coach and current Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and Solomon Wilcots, who played defensive back for the Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers during his NFL career.
Photograph courtesy Miami University
Joining Tressel on the panel were Terence Moore, a 1978 Miami graduate and celebrated journalist and author; Denis Crawford, historian of the College Football Hall of Fame; and Scott Thompson, founder of RESLV, the company that produced Cradle of Coaches.
Jesy Herron of RESLV guided the nearly hour-long panel discussion. Herron noted they visited 26 cities and conducted 84 interviews, each lasting at least an hour, throughout the course of filming.
“This night has truly been two years in the making,” Herron said. “There have been countless hours of listening and learning and working to tell the story the way it deserves to be told. Finally, to be sitting here with you, celebrating the incredible legacy of the Cradle of Coaches, is just incredibly special.”
Segments of the documentary spotlighting football legends Paul Brown, Ara Parseghian, and Bo Schembechler, all members of Miami’s famed Cradle of Coaches, were played throughout the evening.
Kurz coined the Cradle of Coaches phrase in 1959, inspired by the success of alumni Paul Dietzel, Parseghian, Brown, and Weeb Ewbank, and former Miami coach Sid Gillman. In 1983, Kurz wrote the book Miami of Ohio: The Cradle of Coaches, outlining the outsize contributions to the game of football from Miamians active in both the collegiate and professional ranks.
Originally dedicated in October 2010, the Cradle of Coaches Plaza at Yager Stadium features bronze statues in the likenesses of Brown, Ewbank, Dietzel, Parseghian, John Pont, Carm Cozza, Schembechler, Red Blaik, John Harbaugh, and Sean McVay.
“Without Bob, I don’t know where we all are tonight. We’re not here,” said Charlie Clifford, sports director of WLWT and the evening’s emcee.
Photograph courtesy Miami University
It was fitting the event was held at the Bengals’ stadium. In March 2025, the NFL franchise and the university announced its educational partnership, strengthening an already deep connection through Brown, the 1930 Miami graduate who founded the Bengals and is an iconic figure in football history for his strategic brilliance and innovative coaching methods.
“In our house, Paul Brown was at the top,” Tressel said. “He was the epitome of coaching.”
Moore shared several personal anecdotes, including about the bond he formed with Parseghian, whose coaching stops included both Miami and Notre Dame, located in Moore’s hometown of South Bend, Indiana.
Parseghian regarded Moore so highly that he once gifted him two footballs: one representing Notre Dame and the other Miami. Both featured Parseghian’s signature. The Miami football also came with a personal message to Moore. It read, “You’re my favorite sportswriter.”
Miami connections can be made at any time. Thompson recalled walking through airports wearing a Miami sweatshirt and being greeted with “Love and Honor” remarks from passersby. He also noted that just mentioning “Miami” tended to help move the process along. “I’m not a Miami alum. I’m jealous,” Thompson said. “I’m jealous of the network you have and those doors it opens up for everybody in this room.”
A common thread of the coaches featured in the documentary is their ability to achieve greatness by bringing out greatness in others.
“Miami University makes, takes, and shapes great leaders. It’s just that simple,” Miami President Gregory Crawford said during the event. “We’re so fortunate to have this legacy at Miami.”
