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Does Hiring Dusty May Take Heat Off Michigan AD Warde Manuel?
Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel may have earned some job security by hiring Dusty May to coach the basketball squad.
It’s time for the Michigan fan base to hold an honest discuss about Warde Manuel.
As Athletic Director at Michigan, Manuel has had no shortage of messes to clean up. Take Michigan’s 2-4 Covid-riddled season and then-inability to defeat Ohio State for example. Or consider the hockey program’s abuse scandal, which led to the unceremonious dismissal of head coach Mel Pearson. Don’t forget, U-M basketball recently ditched head coach Juwan Howard after it turned in a paltry 8-24 record last season.
So, how could Manuel reverse his reputation and instill some goodwill among Michigan supporters? By hiring the it-coach of the college basketball coaching carousel, Dusty May, who just lead FAU to a Final Four berth one season prior.
To be short, Manuel has become a lightning rod for criticism in Ann Arbor, but that is nothing new considering the position he holds. As the key holder of one of the most powerful, financially-supported athletic departments in the nation, Manuel has a high degree of impact on the basketball and football teams. These revenue-driving sports help support other collegial endeavors across the school. So, Manuel’s position is one that fairly falls within public purview.
However, Manuel seems to find himself between a rock and a hard place, to use candid terms. Manuel is in a difficult position, one that is self-made. Somewhere between repeatedly, albeit awkwardly, extending Jim Harbaugh’s contract and Juwan Howard’s torpedoing of the basketball program, Manuel has rose to become one of the more polarizing figures at the University of Michigan.
For those reading along who believe this story sounds familiar, it should.
Take Dave Brandon for instance. As Athletic Director at Michigan from 2010 to 2014, Brandon’s curious tenure in Ann Arbor was marred by a squandering football program, decreasing attendance at Michigan Stadium and the botched handling of Shane Morris’ concussion.
Now, Brandon received swarms of admonishment as his reputation fell apart on the public stage as an inept leader of the Wolverines’ athletic department. Manuel, on the other hand, has experienced much greater highs than Brandon ever did, with the past season’s football National Championship as his crowning accomplishment. Defeating Ohio State in three consecutive meetings is a close second place, though it also works to give Manuel a bit more job security.
Adding Dusty May to the basketball program as its new head coach should only provide further job security given May’s ability to turn around struggling teams. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but Manuel made a widely positive move by hiring May. Fully repairing trust in Ann Arbor may be a long road for Manuel to travel, one that likely involves ramping up the NIL scene around campus, but he is making the correct steps at this stage.
In some sense, the college sports landscape is controlled by recency bias. A crucial, recent victory is worth two old losses, so to speak. And Warde Manuel recently helped deliver a College Football National Championship and hired the top candidate on the college hoops market. That’s not a bad three month stretch for an AD like Manuel, one that likely buys him more time to leave on imprint on Michigan Athletics.
What do you think of the job Warde Manuel has done as Athletic Director? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter on Twitter for more Wolverine Digest updates.
