Report: Warde Manuel To Be Hired As Michigan AD
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Michigan reportedly has its new athletic director, Connecticut's Warde Manuel.
Manuel has been UConn's AD since 2012. In that three-year period the school has won six national titles in various sports, including men's and women's basketball and field hockey. Manuel was also named the Under Armour AD of the Year in 2015.
Michigan has been searching for a new AD for more than a year now. Dave Brandon resigned from the position in October of 2014 after the school's mishandling of several situations, including a football player's head injury (Shane Morris returned to a game after a hard hit, even though he was later diagnosed with a concussion).
Another controversy during his time involved Brendan Gibbons' alleged rape of a Michigan student - the player was suspended years after the allegations had been made. Questions swirled about what the school knew and when, as well as why coach Brady Hoke had said Gibbons was sitting out because of "family issue."
The final straw apparently came when Brandon sent several emails to critical fans, inviting many to find a new team and "have a happy life."
In the interim, Jim Hackett has been at the helm. He announced in December that he did not want to be considered for the permanent position. However, he did serve on the search committee responsible for conducting a nationwide search for the school's new athletic director.
Michigan has not confirmed the report that the school has hired Manuel. Should he be hired, though, he is familiar with Michigan. Manuel played football for former Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler and was an associate athletic director at Michigan years later.
