BO REIN: SEC Network to air documentary
The SEC Network announced the planned September 15, 2015 airing of a Bo Rein documentary titled, “The Bo You Don’t Know.” The documentary will reference the former NC State head coach’s rise to prominence and mysterious descent when he tragically died on January 10, 1980 in a plane crash just a month and a half after being hired by LSU. Rein was NC State’s head football coach for 4 seasons from 1976 to 1979 compiling a 27-18-1 record, 2 bowl appearances and garnered the last Wolfpack Atlantic Coast Conference football title (1979).
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Rein guided the Pack to wins in the 1977 Peach Bowl (Iowa State) and the 1978 Tangerine Bowl (Pittsburgh).
In his final year with the Wolfpack, his team finished 7-4 winning the conference title. Amazingly, though they won the ACC, that team did not play in a bowl game, even though Clemson, UNC and Wake Forest which finished below them did. It was truly a different era. Speculation and rumors have persisted for years as to why the Pack did not go bowling that year. The most common explanation was that the Garden State Bowl in New Jersey conflicted with final exams. Others think that Rein’s jump to Louisiana State University soured then NC State AD Willis Casey who squashed bowl opportunities. We’ll probably never know the truth, but one thing is for certain, players that I have spoken to from that team felt their season ended too abruptly. The last second 7-9 loss to Penn State altered the dynamics of post-season play for the Pack and forever kept them wondering, what could have been.
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For those of you who don’t already know, after each season, NC State awards the “Bo Rein Award” to a football player that makes a vital contribution to the team’s success in an unsung role. Rein’s alma mater, Ohio State University, honors Rein similarly each year with the “Bo Rein Most Inspirational Player Award.”
The tribute to Robert Edward “Bo” Rein will air September 15, 2015 on the SEC Network.