Hello: New Athletic Director Warde Manuel
via UConn Athletics
After most of a decade as one of two excellent candidates Michigan apparently had waiting in the wings, it looks like Michigan has decided on UConn AD Warde Manuel:
Report: It's Warde Manuel to be next AD at Michigan https://t.co/IPMnRGmHBS
— The Michigan Insider (@michiganinsider) January 27, 2016
Who says? AJerseyGuy is Mark Blaudschun, a former Boston Globe reporter who covers UConn. While it appears that Michigan didn't plan to announce until later in the week, the Freep's David Jesse and Mark Snyder posted the news soon after Blaudschun. While Michigan did its due diligence, Manuel and Boston College AD Brad Bates were consensus frontrunners for the position going back to the search that yielded Dave Brandon. If they did Crystal Balls for ADs, Sam Webb should get epic points.
A quick take: Manuel built a football program where there was none in two locations—Buffalo and UConn—and got Michigan to fill his stadium despite Brandon twisting in the wind to get it moved to a neutral New York site. Prior to those jobs he was Bill Martin's top lieutenant, running football and basketball operations at Michigan, his alma mater. He's considered one of the best ADs nationally. Brian will share his thoughts once he's done with a super secret important matter. Some bits he's shared in the past:
Manuel hired Turner Gill at Buffalo, who briefly made Buffalo not the worst team in D-I, and then ended up hiring Kevin Ollie at UConn, though that was not much of a decision. Paul Pasqualoni was already in place when he was hired at UConn; he fired him and replaced him with ND DC Bob Diaco after taking a swing at MSU DC Pat Narduzzi. That may or may not work out but that process seems pretty sensible to me.
My take: The best possible choice since tying Jim Hackett to a chair for the next 20 years had several legal and logistical disadvantages. Among the various tales of greatness that are about to emerge, my favorite is at Buffalo he swooped in to hire the woman who successfully sued Isiah Thomas and the Knicks.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:12 AM ^
Welcome home, AD Manuel. You have some enormous shoes to fill!
Also, how awesome is today? We get what I view as the concensus #1 recruit at both AD and football NOTY (McDoom) committing within minutes.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:44 AM ^
looks like Hackett; that has to be a good sign, right??
January 27th, 2016 at 12:07 PM ^
tend to look identical-can't tell them apart. Good hire.
January 27th, 2016 at 12:09 PM ^
Yeah, but I think he might need to step up his game in terms of the wardrobe....
Welcome back home Warde!
January 27th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
We know. You posted this same pic 5 days ago. http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/msus-hollis-dont-expect-night-game-msu-v-u-…
and you were beaten to it in this thread alone.
You're unoriginal^2.
January 27th, 2016 at 2:17 PM ^
Thought the same thing . Mr H with a little bit more vitamin d of course.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:12 AM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
Everything I've read indicates this is another slam dunk!
I say again...Jim Hackett is the best thing that's happened to Michigan since 1969!
Statue time?
January 27th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
Super secret and important? Do tell...
January 27th, 2016 at 11:21 AM ^
What a tease.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
My guesses are either McDoom or he's working in the server mines trying to harvest a shiny new server or two to run the site.
January 27th, 2016 at 12:03 PM ^
New server would be amazing. I can't afford to lose MGoBlog next Wednesday. I'll be going thru withdrawals if I don't know what happens at 1pm.
January 27th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^
Seth didn't really think we would not notice, or let that comment slide, did he?
January 27th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 1:15 PM ^
Hope it's not double-secret probation of any kind....
January 27th, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
"Brian will share his thoughts once he's done with a super secret important matter"
^^YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND NOT TELL US!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:22 AM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 11:14 AM ^
WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD IS IT?!?!
I need a drink...
And congrats to Warde - welcome!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
January 27th, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^
McDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
January 27th, 2016 at 11:14 AM ^
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-warde-manuel-uconn-foot…;
To boot, he was Harbaugh's teammate for 1 year!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:16 AM ^
Welcome back Warde - I like your laid back style! Go Blue!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:16 AM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 11:18 AM ^
LOL'd
January 27th, 2016 at 11:22 AM ^
My money was always on Jeff Long. He must feel like he's got it pretty good right there at Arkansas, or perhaps Manuel is even more highly regarded than he is. All three of these guys (including Bates) would have been great hires.
Excited to see where Warde takes us!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:43 AM ^
how much did you lose on your Long bet?
January 27th, 2016 at 12:18 PM ^
He's unable to Warde off rumors that he couldn't Hackett in Vegas. Now he's spammed daily by every casino in the country.
He will forever wear a "sucker" Brandon his forehead. Personally, I think that's pretty harsh.
January 27th, 2016 at 12:45 PM ^
Looks like he couldn't help himself and he took the Bates, hook, line and sinker.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^
Long hired Bielema. That was enough to turn me off on Long.
January 27th, 2016 at 2:53 PM ^
he hired Bielema bacauase of his wife ... yeah - it's an SEC kinda thing (just ask Coach Franklin).
Go Blue!
January 29th, 2016 at 8:13 AM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
Congratulations! Good stuff!! Chin chin!!!
(Sorry, I couldn't help myself...)
January 27th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^
Here here!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
This is as good as it gets if Hackett wasn't going to stick around.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:36 AM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^
It's not 4.4. I am guessing 44.4?
January 27th, 2016 at 12:20 PM ^
Warde v. Rich Eisen in the 40 - who you got?
January 27th, 2016 at 11:25 AM ^
I can't think of the last time we hired someone who had been a successful AD somewhere else for this position. Granted, some have worked out, but nice to see see someone with a track record.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
Proven track records running an athletic department are apparently overrated, if you are an absolute boss. See Hackett, Jim.
January 27th, 2016 at 3:55 PM ^
Don Canham
January 27th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
If you pick someone with college AD experience, it can go really poorly (Brandon) or really well (Hackett). We didn't have to take that risk, when we have several candidates with Michigan ties who are extremely well-regarded nationally. (We didn't have to take that risk with Brandon, certainly, but MSC did anyway.)
January 27th, 2016 at 11:25 AM ^
Jim Hackett - thank you posbang thread is very much needed. Warde will be just fine.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^
How.. much..time..is...left
There is 1 year remaining as AD, 1 year
THANKYOUUUU!
January 27th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^
...Wilson Fisk's brother.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
I like the hire.
But I still feel we should have some sort of shrine to Hackett...for obvious reasons.
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