OXFORD — Miami University’s storied football coaching legacy will reach a national audience later this month.
Miami University and production company RESLV announced Tuesday that the documentary Cradle of Coaches will premiere Aug. 17 exclusively on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service.
The 155-minute documentary explores the history and influence of Miami’s renowned “Cradle of Coaches,” highlighting the university’s outsized impact on football through generations of coaches who have shaped both the college and professional game.
The film features interviews with former Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, former NFL quarterback Ken Anderson, broadcaster Chris Berman, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, former NFL running back Rocky Bleier, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi, Jacob Bronowski and Hall of Fame coach Dick LeBeau.
It also includes exclusive interviews with Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, along with archival footage, audio recordings and behind-the-scenes material chronicling influential coaching figures including Ara Parseghian, Weeb Ewbank and Paul Brown.
Miami athletic director David Sayler said the documentary captures firsthand accounts from people who played for, coached alongside and worked with some of football’s most influential figures over more than a century.
RESLV founder and director Scott Thompson said the project chronicles a coaching legacy that has helped shape the sport and its leaders while bringing the story to a broader audience through Peacock.
NBC Sports President of Acquisitions and Partnerships Jon Miller called the documentary a look at the vision, innovation and influence of coaches whose work helped define modern football.
The documentary was filmed at locations across the country, including the University of Notre Dame, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Cradle of Coaches is directed by Thompson and produced by Jesy Herron. Associate producers are Bailey Williams, Cooper Wood and Alecia Lipton, while Jay Livingston serves as executive producer.
Miami University has long been known as the “Cradle of Coaches” because of the number of prominent football coaches with ties to the school, including Parseghian, Brown, Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes, Sid Gillman, Weeb Ewbank and Carm Cozza, among many others. The university’s coaching lineage has influenced generations of championship programs and NFL franchises.
