FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE examines the life and tragic death of LSU head football coach Robert "Bo" Rein at age 34. The fact that Rein never actually coached a day at LSU muddies the emotional waters and creates an unfortunate chasm between those who knew him and those who never got the chance. Sadly, after only 42 days at the helm, the evening of January 10, 1980 took a tragic and unfathomable turn. While returning to Baton Rouge from a Shreveport recruiting trip, Rein and his pilot Lewis S. Benscotter turned a 40 minute junket into a three hour 1,000 mile odyssey, that 40 years later still has us scratching our heads. Rein's twin engine Cessna 441 would plunge 40,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean 100 miles off Cape Charles, VA. For LSU, the sadness resembled a new friend they had just met and abruptly lost. For NC State, the loss was devastation and utter disbelief. And for Ohioans...they had lost a beloved son.
A Tim Peeler article showcasing FORTY MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE, with a chapter excerpt included.
"The Wolfacker" is a NC State fan/alumni magazine.
Zach Williams is from North Carolina and is writing a book about Bo Rein. Williams recalls Rein's plane crash and talks about the LSU football coach that never coached a game. The title of the book is 40 MINUTES TO BATON ROUGE: The Story of Robert "Bo" Rein.
Zach Williams tells the back story of his book about former LSU football coach Bo Rein. Williams’ book is “Forty Minutes to Baton Rouge.” It details the rapid rise to stardom for Rein, who was named LSU coach at age 34 and died in a plane crash 42 days later. Rein’s legacy is immense almost four decades after his death.