U-M Regents Meet: Schlissel Says He's Disappointed But Doesn't Name Names

FLINT (WWJ) - University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel was critical of the Athletic Department at a Board of Regents meeting in Flint Thursday.

WWJ's Stephanie Davis was there and she has this report...

University of Michigan Athletic Director, Dave Brandon was not mentioned by name during the Board of Regents meeting but school president, Mark Schlissel did say he was disappointed with the way the department handled the concussion injury of  football player Shane Morris.

Schlissel has called for a review of safety procedures. Days after the game in which Morris suffered a concussion, the university president sent out a statement which included:

"As the leader of our university community, I want to express my extreme disappointment in the events surrounding the handling of an on-field injury to one of our football players, Shane Morris. The health and safety of our entire student community, including all of our student-athletes, is my most important responsibility as university president.

I have been in regular discussion regarding this incident and its aftermath with Athletic Director David Brandon and the Board of Regents. I support the immediate protocol changes that the department's initial assessment has identified. I have instructed the Athletic Department to provide me, the Board of Regents, and other campus leaders with a thorough review of our in-game player safety procedures, particularly those involving head injuries, and will involve experts from the University of Michigan Health System in assessing its medical aspects."

Regent, Mark Bernstein says he stands-by the president in the way that he is handling this very complex situation.

"The Shane Morris incident, the poor performance of the football team is like a spark in a very dry forest, right? And there's not a lot of water around right now," alluded Bernstein.

Regent Andrea Newman said she supports Brandon.

"But I would like better communication, I would have liked to have seen statements come out earlier. But there are reasons for all these things. Why they were delayed and what happened, and how the conversations took place and I think that was a general fault of the university," she said.

Many have called for Brandon's firing but yesterday President Schlissel received a letter of support for Brandon---signed by every U of M varsity head coach including John Beilein and Brady Hoke.