As Michigan Rumors Swirl, a Look at Warde Manuel’s Résumé

The University of Michigan remains on the prowl for a new athletic director following the departure of interim AD Jim “Hacksaw” Hackett in December. The search, and its subsequent rumors, have been consistent topics of conversation around UConn since they often feature a familiar name: current UConn AD Warde Manuel.

It’s an obvious connection to make. Manuel is a Michigan alum and served in the athletic department after his playing career wrapped up, as both assistant and associate AD under Bill Martin (quick pause to pass along this Bill Martin-related link). Of course, lineage is only part of the equation and to unravel the validity of the Manuel/Michigan rumors, it comes down to two obvious questions: would Manuel be willing to leave UConn for Michigan and what would make Manuel the most appealing option for the Wolverines?

Here’s the unpleasant but obvious answer to the first question: of course he would.

The Michigan job offers more prestige, more money and access to an athletic donor base that is among the most impressive in college sports. UConn has done a masterful job of competing on the national stage by building programs around impressive coaches, but is years and a new conference away from rising to the level of Michigan, even in the best-case scenario. And all this without even considering that Manuel attended Michigan, making the job all that much more appealing.

The second question is more complicated. Despite the odd collection of UConn fans that place blame for the American Athletic Conference on Manuel, his record of achievement in his brief tenure in Storrs is notable. The athletic department he inherited was mired in bullshit. The football program was in the middle of a downslide that would result in Manuel firing head coach Paul Pasqualoni. The seeming silver lining of the reigning national champion basketball program was hit with an NCAA Tournament ban a few months after Warde’s arrival.

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Right before that season began, Jim Calhoun announced his retirement and essentially forced Manuel into anointing Kevin Ollie as the new head coach without so much as an interview process.

Manuel handled all of those issues with aplomb. He never disparaged Calhoun or Ollie, and rewarded the latter with a long-term contract before the year was out. In that contract, Ollie won a national championship (and earned a lucrative contract extension). Manuel’s chosen football coach, Bob Diaco, has also found success, piloting UConn to bowl eligibility for the first time in five seasons in only his second year on the job.

It’s an impressive body of work. Toss in three women’s basketball championships and a pair for the field hockey team and Manuel has been the second-winningest Division I athletic director in the country since he arrived at UConn (Rob Mullens at Oregon is number one).

Manuel has also held several notable leadership roles within the American Athletic Conference and is widely respected by other athletic directors.

But this is college sports in America. Only two things matter anymore: football and money. As a premiere destination, Michigan will have access to a deep pool of candidates. Manuel’s résumé and alumni status are intriguing, certainly worthy of an interview, but he will have to contend with competition from across the nation from candidates whose bonafides are equally impressive.

The most common name placed next to Manuel’s is that of Arkansas AD Jeff Long. Long also served in the Michigan athletic department en route to a gig as Pitt’s AD. Since taking over at Arkansas in 2008, Long has seen the Razorbacks reach five bowl games while playing in the country’s best football conference. Long is revered for his fundraising ability, something that UConn struggled with before Manuel’s arrival under former AD Jeff Hathaway.

Should Manuel be offered the job and accept, UConn would again be left searching for a new AD during a crucial time for the university. With further conference realignment on the horizon, UConn could be left at a clear disadvantage without an established AD who can navigate complicated negotiations with the administration, and aid in the university’s sales pitch. That is the worst-case scenario.

Fortunately for UConn fans, should Manuel leave, it will be for greener pastures and not because of ineptitude (Hathaway), scandal (Illinois’ Mike Thomas) or both (basically Rutgers). The damage done by a bad athletic director is far worse than seeing a successful one exit on good terms. If Manuel leaves, UConn will be fine, but you can bet that many in the administration, especially university president Susan Herbst, are hoping Michigan goes in a different direction.