Cradle of Coaches exhibition on display at Miami art museum
Temporary exhibit available through June 13; museum is free and open to the public
Cradle of Coaches exhibition on display at Miami art museum
Temporary exhibit available through June 13; museum is free and open to the public
Visitors to the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum will get a unique look at Miami University’s famed Cradle of Coaches.
Miniature versions of the Cradle of Coaches statues are part of a temporary exhibition at the museum through June 13. Designed by University Communications and Marketing (UCM), the exhibition features many of the coaches who make up the famous group.
Bob Kurz, a 1958 Miami graduate and former sports information director, is credited with coining the Cradle of Coaches phrase in 1959 when he was inspired by the success of alumni Paul Dietzel, Ara Parseghian, Paul Brown, and Weeb Ewbank, and former Miami coach Sid Gillman. In 1983, Kurz penned the book “Miami of Ohio: The Cradle of Coaches,” outlining how Miamians have revolutionized the game of football 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, Bo Schembechler, Red Blaik, John Harbaugh, and Sean McVay.
The Cradle of Coaches exhibition is in a display case located in the entranceway of the museum. Sherri Krazl, associate director of event promotion and community engagement for the College of Creative Arts, noted this collaboration between the museum, University Libraries, and UCM was a way to spotlight part of the sports culture at Miami.
“We’re excited to be a part of celebrating and connecting with other areas on campus,” Krazl said. “Having displays like this and collaborating with other units is really in our genes.”
Miami’s Cradle of Coaches is the subject of an upcoming documentary that is expected to be released later this year. The exhibition is expected to travel during the launch of the documentary.
Also on display at the museum with the Cradle of Coaches exhibition is “The Sportsfield,” a 1960 oil painting from Phillip Morseberger that features many of Miami’s athletic scenes from that time period.
The art museum is free and open to the public 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and noon-5 p.m. on Saturdays.
After June 13, the museum will close for renovations with an expected reopening in fall 2027. While there are no new exhibitions this fall due to the renovations, Krazl said the museum will continue to host its annual student lawn party during Welcome Weekend in August.
“We’re excited not just for what we’ve done so far, but the potential to be able to do a lot more of that when we reopen after the renovation,” Krazl said. “We’re going to have more spaces carved out for special collaborations and more classroom space.”
The museum’s current exhibitions include “Rooted Here: Networks of Modern and Contemporary Art,” which was curated by students as part of the Art and Architecture History Capstone Seminar, and “Culture Crops: Ohio’s Hidden Gardens and Secret Food Histories,” an America 250-Ohio funded project of the work of Cincinnati-based photographer Tina Gutierrez.
“We have lots of cool things for people to get excited about,” Krazl said. “I always like to say that the art museum has something that will appeal to everyone.”