Michigan interviews Warde Manuel for AD position. (maybe)

Submitted by MainStreetMagic on

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=13194

I just saw this article come across my Twitter feed.  I am not familiar with the source, but it passed my initial "Ace Williams" check.  If true this seems to confirm what many have suspected, and that is that Manuel would be a finalist for the job at the very least. 

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TruBluWolv55

January 21st, 2016 at 8:49 PM ^

My nephew graduated with Warde and was on the track team with him at UM. He speaks very highly of him and was excited to hear his name mentioned before about becoming the next AD.

Joined: 11/28/2010

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MGoUP

January 21st, 2016 at 8:52 PM ^

We could have a new AD by the end of the weekend. Also Stephen Spangellis (the OT commit from Virginia) just comitted to Michigan!

Joined: 01/21/2016

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Leaders And Best

January 21st, 2016 at 10:06 PM ^

Mark Blaudschun was the long-time Boston Globe national college football writer back when newspapers could afford to have national college football writers. I think he still has a lot of contacts on the East coast so I would not be surprised if this story is true as well as Warde Manuel is the AD at UConn right now.

Joined: 09/09/2009

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JeepinBen

January 22nd, 2016 at 9:51 AM ^

New Ferraris (and lambos, and most new things) are SO damn easy to drive. That's why you see people like Bieber in them.

No. The New AD is being handed the keys to a Porsche 930, or an F40, or a Countach. New cars have things like automatic transmissions, traction control, and will stop you from killing yourself. The 930 was called the widowmaker for a reason.

 

Joined: 01/22/2010

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Mr. Yost

January 21st, 2016 at 10:01 PM ^

This will be a huge addition. Hackett is the MAN. But Manuel, IMO, is one of the best ADs in the country - regardless of his affliation to Michigan. 

Joined: 07/25/2011

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wigeon

January 22nd, 2016 at 7:22 AM ^

walking to the stadium that beautiful Saturday and seeing "Hoke" spelled out didn't sit right at the time.  Then to find out the plane was sent to East Landfill, and the aftermath of the whole thing was SO embarrassing.  I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around how far sidweays our AD slid under DB.  

Joined: 07/05/2008

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Duke of Zhou

January 21st, 2016 at 10:38 PM ^

I think Manuel would be a fine hire. But he was gifted Geno Auriemma and Kevin Ollie, and UCONN is a basketball school. His hiring of Diaco seems to be pretty good, but he hasn't had to make many big decisions.

Joined: 12/03/2014

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Ben v2

January 21st, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^

Manuel had to deal with the end of Jim Calhoun's tenure, when they were sanctioned for low APR scores.  His handling of transition from Calhoun to Kevin Ollie should be used as a case study.  I would suggest that Manuel is probably more prepared than most to take the baton from Hackett.

I wonder how Manuel would handle Red's transition.

Joined: 11/12/2013

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bacon

January 21st, 2016 at 10:41 PM ^

He's been an AD before, which is good. Also, he never ran a pizza company. Also, Michigan football churned out ADs back in the day. Let's hope this tradition continues. I'd love to see a player like Devin Gardner as an AD somewhere some day.

Joined: 01/04/2009

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Mr. Yost

January 22nd, 2016 at 9:58 AM ^

Isn't he coaching?

He should be starting a career in college athletics now if he wants to be an AD. Unless you're talking about at a high school.

AD's these days generally have worked in college athletics...or they're successful businessmen who know people. The other scenario you see sometimes is guys who are CEO's of bowls or conference commissioners. Which would fall into the businessman category if you ask me.

I've worked in college athletics for some time now...I can't think of too many successful ADs who didn't have athletics administration experience. Barry Alvarez and Mike Bellotti, maybe? But they were coaches (which almost never happens anymore). 

I would put Manuel as a top 10 AD in the country. No question about it.

He's in that group with Florida, OSU, MSU, Duke, Arizona, TCU, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Maybe I'd throw Kentucky's AD in that group.

Sidenote, one of the very best ADs in the country? Grand Valley State's Tim Selgo, that guy is awesome at what he does. Veyr nice man too, he gets it. He loves GVSU, but he'd be a great hire in the B1G. Selgo, Manuel, Foley at UF and Mark Hollis and Gene Smith from our two hated rivals are some of the nicest, respected ADs I've ever met. I've never met Greg Byrne at Arizona, but I hear he's the absolute best in the country - and people love working for him.

I always tell this story of when I was an intern, very first job out of college. I was walking through a parking lot on OSU's campus and it was POURING raining. A car pulls up and a man hands me his umbrella to keep, it was Gene Smith. He says "here you go son, it looks like you need this more than I ever will...I'll buy a new one." I politely said "no thanks Sir, I'm a Michigan fan." He laughed and said "Alright, well I understand." (He didn't know that by that time I was 10 feet from my car). I've met him a few times since, always the nicest guy...I hate OSU, but he's kept them a power program much moreso than before he arrived.

Not a fan of Jeff Long or Joe Castiglione (Arkansas and Oklahoma)...both are too arrogant for my taste. Deservedly so, but still...your shit stinks just like the rest of us. That said, they're both pretty damn awesome at their jobs. Both well respected around the country.

/end tangent

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True Blue Grit

January 22nd, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^

I've believed for a while now Michigan needs to finally hire an AD who has actual experience in athletic administration. In recent years (post-Bo), most of our AD's haven't been very good. Bill Martin was the best one, but he has his critics too. Departments at major schools like Michigan are too complex for people to run with no experience nowadays. Hackett seems to have done a great job so far based on our view from the outside. But I'm guessing he is challenged by many of the detailed daily issues that experienced AD's routinely handle. I'm looking forward to seeing who the new AD ends up being.

Joined: 01/21/2011

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UMgradMSUdad

January 24th, 2016 at 3:23 AM ^

If MSU's AD is top ten in the country, 99&% of the ADs in the country must really suck. He inherited Dantonio & Izzo. His hire of a hockey coach has been an unmmitigated disaster. If the UM ticket office were run like MSU's, students and alumni would be out with torches and pitchforks. I will grant that he has stopped his sophomoric tweets at Michigan athletes and has had innovative ideas for early season basketball games as positives for him.

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