Making the Grade: Shari Acho

If you have attended any of the season end Michigan Football Busts at Laurel Manor in Livonia the past few seasons you know the routine of the players who are accepting their M rings. They thank the U of M Club of Greater Detroit for their M ring, they thank their Mom, and they thank God (not necessarily in that order). Additionally, over the past several seasons, almost all of the players thanked someone named Shari Acho. They each said they would not have made it through their years at Michigan were it not for her. They also mentioned how she was tough on them. I remember thinking she must be one of the athletic trainers. Hardly. She is in charge of training their minds.

Shari Acho is an Associate Athletic Director/Academic Football Counselor. She is also co-Director of the Academic Success Program at the University of Michigan. She will be entering her seventh year with U of M. At last year's Football Bust, senior Paul Sarantos told a funny anecdote about Mrs. Acho (a clip of Sarantos telling the story was even shown on that weekend's Michigan Replay). Sarantos was a top student/athlete and he said that one day he found a note on his car windshield because his car had accidentally been hit by Shari Acho in the Schembechler Hall parking lot. The note read something like, "You better keep your grades up or next time I'll hit you instead of your car. Shari Acho" Now that's one tough academic counselor. The players seem to really respect (and even fear) her and she has done a fantastic job of making sure the players excel in the classroom as well as on the field. So the next time you are at a M Football Bust and hear the players thank Shari Acho, you'll know why. You can learn more about Mrs. Acho by clicking here and scrolling to the last page to read her bio from the Spring Football Media Guide which is in pdf format. Go Blue!