New Michigan AD Warde Manuel: 'It Is Great To Be Home'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Approached in early December about his interest in the University of Michigan's athletic director job, Warde Manuel had two knee-jerk reactions.
The first, a laugh. The second?
"Hell yes," he said.
Nearly two months later, Manuel stepped to the podium in Ann Arbor as the new athletic director of his alma mater. He has three academic degrees from the school, and played football for three and a half years under coach Bo Schembechler. From 1998 to 2005, he served as both an assistant and associate athletic director at Michigan, then went on to become the head man at both Buffalo and Connecticut, the latter at which his teams won six national titles during his tenure.
But the winding road home he's taken was just that – a way to return to Ann Arbor one day. For a Michigan athletic department that spent the latter part of Dave Brandon's tenure embroiled in scandal, then was led by an interim athletic director, in Jim Hackett, for roughly a year and a half, the hope is that Manuel will bring stability.
"There's no better job in the country than Michigan in my mind," he said. "If President (Mark) Schlissel wanted to offer me a 20-year contract, I would certainly sign it. … My hope is that I am here for a while and provide that stability for them (student-athletes) and our programs. I look forward to serving the university as long as Michigan will have me."
From the "M" pin on his jacket, to his comfort with those in the room, it was clear Manuel is a person who has been searching for a way back to Ann Arbor.
During his opening remarks, where he thanked dozens of people for helping him to succeed, the university was a huge component. Manuel's two biggest influences were half biological family (his father), half Michigan family (Schembechler).
"The character that he instilled, the work ethic, the will to win and do things the right way, the passion for life and success – stays with me because of those two gentlemen and because of the influence of Bo," he said.
Manuel's first football team captain, Jim Harbaugh, was of course in the room and later popped onto the podium himself to present Manuel with his old football jersey.
From sitting in a meeting room with Harbaugh listening to Schembechler, to now being his former captain's boss, Manuel appreciated the clarity that timeline brought.
"When you come full circle like that, that's meaningful to me, and I look forward to working with Jim and all the other head coaches," he said.
That work will begin on March 14, Manuel's first official day as AD. He stressed the importance of providing a solid foundation for the athletic department, and for maintaining the school's tradition – both in the classroom and on the field, he said.
"I chose to accept this offer for the same reason I committed to Bo. … There is no finer place than this Michigan of ours," Manuel said. "It is great to be home."