Where's Warde?

As the days continue to tick by without any resolution, Michigan Football fans await a decision (once again) from Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh. Will he stay or will he go?

While NFL rumors have become part of the norm with Harbaugh as head coach in Ann Arbor, the last two seasons have felt far more significant in terms of the possibility that he may actually opt for an NFL return.

Reports suggest that Harbaugh has grown frustrated with the new landscape of college football, as well as with Michigan's apparent unwillingness to adapt along with those changes - particularly when it comes to Athletic Director Warde Manuel. The sticking point seems to be NIL if you listen to the latest round of reports. Not only does Harbaugh want a larger contract and more pay for his staff, he also wants Michigan to be far more competitive in the world of NIL - something that Manuel is apparently unwilling to budge on.

Of course, many of these "reports" regarding Warde Manuel are coming from folks who are staunch Harbaugh supporters. It's clear that the 'keep Harbaugh forever' camp is still alive and well, and the last two seasons of Michigan Football have made that camp grow substantially. To be fair, it's hard to blame those individuals for their unwavering support of a man who has helped lead Michigan to two-consecutive wins over Ohio State, two-consecutive Big Ten Championships and back-to back appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Another factor in all of this is new U-M President, Santa Ono. Clearly already a vast improvement from his predecessor, Ono has fully embraced all things Michigan - including the success of U-M Athletics in every capacity. When it comes to the topic of Jim Harbaugh's future at Michigan specifically, Ono made his thoughts fairly clear.

"He's a great coach," Ono Said. "I hope we can keep him."

Of course, Harbaugh himself also issued a statement last week regarding his own future at the University of Michigan. As usual, the statement was anything but definitive when it comes to his actual intentions - leaving plenty of room for speculation. That being said, at least Harbaugh issued a statement about where he stands...kind of.

With all of that said, where is Warde Manuel? Over the last two weeks, Michigan fans have heard from U-M President Santa Ono and head coach Jim Harbaugh - but not a word from Manuel. Is he still interested in retaining Jim Harbaugh? Is he tirelessly working on a contract that will be suitable enough to keep Harbaugh in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future? Is he unwilling to budge on certain sticking points? That all depends on who you ask (and which sites you pay a subscription for), but the fact remains that Manuel is one of three key pieces to the puzzle who has yet to release a statement.

Put simply, it would be nice to hear something from the man who is at the heart and center of the latest Jim Harbaugh-to-NFL saga.