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Source: UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel Headed For Michigan
A source confirmed to The Courant Wednesday morning that Manuel is leaving UConn for his alma mater, the University of MIchigan. The story was first reported by veteran college sports reporter Mark Blaudschun, via his website ajerseyguy.com. Blaudschun reported the deal will be announced by the end of the week.
Manuel was in Ann Arbor last Wednesday interviewing for the job. Two sources had confirmed to The Courant last week that Manuel had interviewed and UConn was bracing for the possibility of losing him.
Manuel and UConn President Susan Herbst were at a UConn Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday morning.
"I don't have any comments on any reports at this time," Manuel said.
On his time at UConn: "I've never had a bad day as the athletic director at UConn because of the great people in leadership, starting with Larry McHugh [Chairman of Board of Trustees] and President Herbst, the coaches, our student-athletes, our students, our donors and our fans. There's never been a bad day here to get up and go to work on behalf of UConn and all those in the UConn Nation. I'm grateful for being the athletic director at UConn. No matter what the future brings I'll always have a tremendous love and admiration for this university and this state."
Warde Manuel Departure From UConn Would Allow Kevin Ollie To Opt Out Of Contract
Herbst stopped short of confirming that Manuel is leaving, but she spoke as if she is losing her AD.
"It's happy and sad for us," Herbst said. "We're incredibly proud of him, but he has brought a lot to UConn."
Asked if she's assuming that Manuel will go, Herbst said: "I'll wait to see what Michigan does. We don't like other universities or other university presidents to speak for us… Michigan is a very fine place."
Manuel was in the fourth year of a five-year contract at UConn, with a base salary of $450,000 annually and academic and athletic performance incentives worth up to $100,000 more each year.
Manuel, 47, has deep ties to Michigan. He played football for the legendary Bo Schembechler before his career was cut short by a neck injury. He remained around the team and he earned letters on the track and field team.
In 1986, Manuel was a freshman on the football team that included quarterback Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is the current head coach in Ann Arbor.
Manuel, who was raised in New Orleans, earned a master's degree in social work and an MBA from Michigan, and he served as assistant athletic director and associate athletic director at the school before becoming AD at Buffalo in 2005. He spent six years at Buffalo before coming to UConn in 2012.
Herbst said that Manuel has been "a fabulous spokesperson for our general drive to excellence" as well as being "very dedicated to women's sports."
"One of the reasons I hired him is he really matched the ambitions of the rest of the university in terms of winning championships, raising money for facilities and acting like the place we are — a great place that has an athletics record that most universities envy," Herbst said. "So that is something that we had before. I think Ward really broadcasted and articulated it and made sure people knew it."
Manuel oversaw the construction of the Werth Family Champions Center, the $35 million basketball practice and training facility on campus. He also hired football coach Bob Diaco after firing former coach Paul Pasqualoni during his third losing season. The football program returned to a bowl game this season.
He was AD as the men's basketball program transitioned from Jim Calhoun to Kevin Ollie.
Manuel hired former Boston College assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh to lead the men's hockey program as it moved up to Hockey East.
And under Manuel, UConn's academic performance has improved. The men's basketball program, which was ineligible for the 2013 postseason because of poor Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, has since rebounded with perfect scores the past two years.
"That's my highest priority," Herbst said of academics. "Warde, along with a team of academic advisers, has brought up that side of the department so that we are incredibly proud of our student athletes on the court, on the field, but also in the classroom. So that's one of his legacies, that we are not in APR trouble.
"Our football team, which is huge as you know, has very good academic standing and it's true for all the other teams. In any student population, there are going to be a few problems. But I will say that he brought high academic standards to the athletics department in a way that is permanent and lasting. It's staffed up. I don't see us ever having those kinds of problems again, so I'd say that's one of his greatest accomplishments."
The school's women's athletics programs also thrived over the past three years. Herbst praised Manuel for prioritizing the programs.
"One of the things he and I talked so much about is Title IV and women's sports," Herbst said. "Warde came in here very interested in, very dedicated to women's athletics. I think him being here with people like Geno [Auriemma] and Nancy Stevens who coaches our [2013 and 2014] national champion field hockey team. He has also helped to bring that to the forefront nationally, that we are a place that has great athletics and great women's athletics, and those women are leaders and they matter and this is a place that is at the highest level of competition."
In the world of college administrators, Manuel has a sterling reputation. It was no surprise, then, that Michigan would pursue him. The school replaced Dave Brandon as AD in October 2014 and Jim Hackett took over as interim AD.
On Dec. 2, Hackett — a retired business executive and former Michigan football player — announced he did not want to be considered for the permanent AD position and a search for a replacement began. Manuel's name was immediately cited as a strong candidate, along with other "Michigan men" such as Boston College AD Brad Bates and Colorado State AD Joe Parker. Arkansas AD Jeff Long, a former Michigan administrator, was also considered a candidate.
UConn baseball coach Jim Penders was on the search committee that hired Manuel, so he has seen him as a job candidate.
"I'm certainly going to miss him," Penders said. "I know that when he did interview, he filled up not just the whole room with his personality, and I think he did that in his four years with us. He did a fantastic job, from compliance to creating a culture. He came in and said, 'I'm from a military family, but I'm also from New Orleans. I'm business, but I know how to have a good time, too.' … The proof's in the pudding, too, with titles and everything we accomplished during his tenure, and he' s made a couple of incredible hires, I think, too."
What had eluded Manuel, and UConn, the past four years is an invitation to one of the Power Five conferences. Much of the last round of conference realignment was over before Manuel got to UConn, and with the breakup of the Big East, UConn lost many of its popular basketball rivalries and landed in the new American Athletic Conference in 2013, with unfamiliar and faraway opponents.
UConn will now be looking for a new administrator. Among the names likely to surface as candidates: Army AD Boo Corrigan, Nevada AD and UConn graduate Doug Knuth, Northern Illinois AD Sean Frazier, and Kansas associate AD Sean Lester, an Eastern Connecticut graduate with a master's from UConn and a former UConn athletic administrator under Lew Perkins.
Blaudschun also speculates that former Big East associate commissioner and Cheshire native Nick Carparelli would be a candidate. Carparelli is currently the Senior Director of College Sports at Baltimore-based Under Armour.
Herbst said the school will conduct a national search if Manuel leaves.
"It will be a completely confidential search," Herbst said. "[Conducted by] a committee that's small but representative of our community."
Staff writers Kathy Megan and Dom Amore contributed to this story
Copyright © 2016, Hartford Courant
A source confirmed to The Courant Wednesday morning that Manuel is leaving UConn for his alma mater, the University of MIchigan. The story was first reported by veteran college sports reporter Mark Blaudschun, via his website ajerseyguy.com. Blaudschun reported the deal will be announced by the end of the week.
Manuel was in Ann Arbor last Wednesday interviewing for the job. Two sources had confirmed to The Courant last week that Manuel had interviewed and UConn was bracing for the possibility of losing him.
Manuel and UConn President Susan Herbst were at a UConn Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday morning.
"I don't have any comments on any reports at this time," Manuel said.
On his time at UConn: "I've never had a bad day as the athletic director at UConn because of the great people in leadership, starting with Larry McHugh [Chairman of Board of Trustees] and President Herbst, the coaches, our student-athletes, our students, our donors and our fans. There's never been a bad day here to get up and go to work on behalf of UConn and all those in the UConn Nation. I'm grateful for being the athletic director at UConn. No matter what the future brings I'll always have a tremendous love and admiration for this university and this state."
Warde Manuel Departure From UConn Would Allow Kevin Ollie To Opt Out Of Contract
Herbst stopped short of confirming that Manuel is leaving, but she spoke as if she is losing her AD.
"It's happy and sad for us," Herbst said. "We're incredibly proud of him, but he has brought a lot to UConn."
Asked if she's assuming that Manuel will go, Herbst said: "I'll wait to see what Michigan does. We don't like other universities or other university presidents to speak for us… Michigan is a very fine place."
Manuel was in the fourth year of a five-year contract at UConn, with a base salary of $450,000 annually and academic and athletic performance incentives worth up to $100,000 more each year.
Manuel, 47, has deep ties to Michigan. He played football for the legendary Bo Schembechler before his career was cut short by a neck injury. He remained around the team and he earned letters on the track and field team.
In 1986, Manuel was a freshman on the football team that included quarterback Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is the current head coach in Ann Arbor.
Manuel, who was raised in New Orleans, earned a master's degree in social work and an MBA from Michigan, and he served as assistant athletic director and associate athletic director at the school before becoming AD at Buffalo in 2005. He spent six years at Buffalo before coming to UConn in 2012.
Herbst said that Manuel has been "a fabulous spokesperson for our general drive to excellence" as well as being "very dedicated to women's sports."
"One of the reasons I hired him is he really matched the ambitions of the rest of the university in terms of winning championships, raising money for facilities and acting like the place we are — a great place that has an athletics record that most universities envy," Herbst said. "So that is something that we had before. I think Ward really broadcasted and articulated it and made sure people knew it."
Manuel oversaw the construction of the Werth Family Champions Center, the $35 million basketball practice and training facility on campus. He also hired football coach Bob Diaco after firing former coach Paul Pasqualoni during his third losing season. The football program returned to a bowl game this season.
He was AD as the men's basketball program transitioned from Jim Calhoun to Kevin Ollie.
Manuel hired former Boston College assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh to lead the men's hockey program as it moved up to Hockey East.
And under Manuel, UConn's academic performance has improved. The men's basketball program, which was ineligible for the 2013 postseason because of poor Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, has since rebounded with perfect scores the past two years.
"That's my highest priority," Herbst said of academics. "Warde, along with a team of academic advisers, has brought up that side of the department so that we are incredibly proud of our student athletes on the court, on the field, but also in the classroom. So that's one of his legacies, that we are not in APR trouble.
"Our football team, which is huge as you know, has very good academic standing and it's true for all the other teams. In any student population, there are going to be a few problems. But I will say that he brought high academic standards to the athletics department in a way that is permanent and lasting. It's staffed up. I don't see us ever having those kinds of problems again, so I'd say that's one of his greatest accomplishments."
The school's women's athletics programs also thrived over the past three years. Herbst praised Manuel for prioritizing the programs.
"One of the things he and I talked so much about is Title IV and women's sports," Herbst said. "Warde came in here very interested in, very dedicated to women's athletics. I think him being here with people like Geno [Auriemma] and Nancy Stevens who coaches our [2013 and 2014] national champion field hockey team. He has also helped to bring that to the forefront nationally, that we are a place that has great athletics and great women's athletics, and those women are leaders and they matter and this is a place that is at the highest level of competition."
In the world of college administrators, Manuel has a sterling reputation. It was no surprise, then, that Michigan would pursue him. The school replaced Dave Brandon as AD in October 2014 and Jim Hackett took over as interim AD.
On Dec. 2, Hackett — a retired business executive and former Michigan football player — announced he did not want to be considered for the permanent AD position and a search for a replacement began. Manuel's name was immediately cited as a strong candidate, along with other "Michigan men" such as Boston College AD Brad Bates and Colorado State AD Joe Parker. Arkansas AD Jeff Long, a former Michigan administrator, was also considered a candidate.
UConn baseball coach Jim Penders was on the search committee that hired Manuel, so he has seen him as a job candidate.
"I'm certainly going to miss him," Penders said. "I know that when he did interview, he filled up not just the whole room with his personality, and I think he did that in his four years with us. He did a fantastic job, from compliance to creating a culture. He came in and said, 'I'm from a military family, but I'm also from New Orleans. I'm business, but I know how to have a good time, too.' … The proof's in the pudding, too, with titles and everything we accomplished during his tenure, and he' s made a couple of incredible hires, I think, too."
What had eluded Manuel, and UConn, the past four years is an invitation to one of the Power Five conferences. Much of the last round of conference realignment was over before Manuel got to UConn, and with the breakup of the Big East, UConn lost many of its popular basketball rivalries and landed in the new American Athletic Conference in 2013, with unfamiliar and faraway opponents.
UConn will now be looking for a new administrator. Among the names likely to surface as candidates: Army AD Boo Corrigan, Nevada AD and UConn graduate Doug Knuth, Northern Illinois AD Sean Frazier, and Kansas associate AD Sean Lester, an Eastern Connecticut graduate with a master's from UConn and a former UConn athletic administrator under Lew Perkins.
Blaudschun also speculates that former Big East associate commissioner and Cheshire native Nick Carparelli would be a candidate. Carparelli is currently the Senior Director of College Sports at Baltimore-based Under Armour.
Herbst said the school will conduct a national search if Manuel leaves.
"It will be a completely confidential search," Herbst said. "[Conducted by] a committee that's small but representative of our community."
Staff writers Kathy Megan and Dom Amore contributed to this story
Copyright © 2016, Hartford Courant