Reports: Warde Manuel to be Michigan's new athletics director
Credit: CTPost.com
According to reports from AJerseyGuy.com and the Detroit Free Press, Warde Manuel will be Michigan's new athletics director. Both reports state final details are still being worked out, and an announcement could come this week.
Manuel is currently the athletics director at Connecticut, where he hired current Huskies head coach Bob Diaco. Manuel spent 2005-12 as the AD at Buffalo, where he hired Turner Gill and Jeff Quinn to run the Bulls' football program.
Of course, Manuel's football hiring acumen won't be tested for the time being as the Wolverines are settled at that position for as long as Jim Harbaugh desires.
In fact, Manuel arrives a bit like a politician voted into office after the war has already been won. Dave Brandon resigned 15 months ago, and interim AD Jim Hackett secured both the Harbaugh hiring and a lengthy Nike contract that kicks in later this year.
Like Harbaugh... and Hackett... and Brandon... and every Wolverines AD since 1921, Manuel has prior experience at Michigan, but he differs from his predecessors in one stark way.
Manuel played football for Bo Schembechler and served in the U-M athletics department under ADs Tim Goss and Bill Martin before landing at Buffalo.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
