Warde Manuel: The Goal Is To Beat Our Rivals, Win Championships

Michigan's Athletic Director made clear that the expectation at Michigan is still the same as it's always been.

Michigan Athletic Directory Warde Manuel joined Jon Jansen for the “In The Trenches” podcast on Saturday and discussed Jim Harbaugh’s extension, along with his expectation for the football program.

In spite of coming up short during his first six seasons in Ann Arbor, Manuel still believes that Harbaugh is the best man to lead the football program and still has faith in his ability to get the job done.

“I believe in him and his ability to lead this team to great success,” Manuel said on the podcast. “He understands that and believes that as well. As a former captain and quarterback here, he knows exactly the expectations of Michigan and Michigan football, and the things that are expected in terms of success. Looking forward to his leadership for years to come.”

Though Manuel still has confidence in Harbaugh’s ability to succeed at Michigan, many within the fan base remain skeptical to say the least. Everyone believed that Harbaugh was the right man for the job when he arrived in Ann Arbor back in December of 2014, but that belief has changed considerably with each year that passes without a win against Ohio State and/or a Big Ten Championship. That lack of success, combined with the offer of an extension, has led many within the fan base to question if the standards at Michigan are still the same as they once were.

“The goal here is not going to change. The goal here is to win those rivalry games and to win the Big Ten, and that is not going to change, and that quest continues,” Manuel said. “I believe in Jim as the leader of this program, and I believe in this staff that he’s put together.”

“We need to continue to have that focus. We need to have that focus in the weight room, in spring ball, in offseason workouts, when we come into fall, and we need to make sure that we’re putting them, and coaching them, to be in the right positions to win.”

While it’s reassuring to hear Michigan’s Athletic Director state that the goals and expectations are the same as they have always been, the offer of a contract extension to a head coach who has fallen short of those goals and expectations over the course of six seasons seems a bit puzzling. Since 2015, Harbaugh has compiled an overall record of 49-22 - but is also just 3-3 against Michigan State and, of course, 0-5 against Ohio State. Under Harbaugh’s leadership, Michigan also remains one of just seven football programs within the Big Ten conference to have never participated in the conference championship game in Indianapolis - thanks in large part to that final game in November. 

Today's episode of 'In The Trenches' is now available. My guest, Athletic Director Warde Manuel @UMichAthletics @UMichFootball #GoBlue #JustWin

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— Jon Jansen (@JonJansen77) January 30, 2021

In an effort to help rejuvinate the program, Harbaugh made significant changes to his coaching staff this offseason - parting ways with former defensive coordinator Don Brown, quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels, offensive line coach Ed Warinner and defensive backs coach Mike Zordich.  In their place, Harbaugh brought in former Michigan running back Mike Hart as the new running backs coach, Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator, Maurice Linguist as co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach, and George Harlow as safeties coach.

Some faces on the coaching staff remain the same but their roles have changed.  Josh Gattis will be joined by Sherrone Moore in his new role as co-offensive coordinator, while Jay Harbaugh will move from running backs coach to special teams exclusively.

It remains to be seen whether or not this new-look coaching staff can help change the narrative of Harbaugh's tenure, but Manuel made clear what the expectations are at the University of Michigan.  We'll see if year seven is the year that Harbaugh finally meets them.