Tag: Warde Manuel

Warde Manuel explains why Ohio State is hosting Tennessee

CFP committee chair Warde Manuel explains why Ohio State is hosting the Vols in the College Football Playoff first round.

No. 8 seed Ohio State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) will host No. 9 Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) in the College Football Playoff first round on Dec. 21.

Kickoff between the Vols and Buckeyes is slated for 8 p.m. EST at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The contest will be televised by ABC.

Ohio State suffered losses at Oregon and against Michigan at home during the regular season. Tennessee lost two games on the road: to Arkansas and Georgia.

Following the announcement of the matchup, College Football Playoff committee chair and Michigan director of athletics Warde Manuel said why Ohio State is hosting Tennessee.

“You know what, we didn’t determine — how people host is not what our committee is doing,” Manuel said. “We’re ranking the teams, and the seeding principles come into effect, but obviously they were extremely close, one away from each other.

“What we did consider is all that you said. We took a look at where people lost, how people lost. Ohio State lost also on the road to the No. 1 team by one point, so we analyzed all of those things in terms of how — where the losses occurred, Tennessee lost at Arkansas, Ohio State lost at home to Michigan. We talked about all of that.

“Ultimately, as a committee and as we voted these teams, Ohio State was one ahead of Tennessee, but we didn’t look at it — as well, if we put Ohio State six and Tennessee seven, one is going to host and one is not. We never, I can assure you and everybody on this call, never even talked about it until after the top 25 was ranked.

“I made sure in this room that was not a point of consideration. That was not something for us to do. The commissioners asked us to rank the best 25 teams from 1 to 25, and that’s what we did.”

READ: 2024 SEC football power rankings after conference title game

Dan Harralson/Vols Wire

Who is the chair of the 2024 College Football Playoff selection committee?

Who’s leading the 13-person CFP selection committee?

Now a decade into its existence, the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams for the first time at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The expansion comes following the most controversial field of the four-team era in which an undefeated, ACC champion Florida State was left out of the field. Now, the new system essentially guarantees that will never happen again with five spots reserved for conference champions and seven more going to the highest-ranked at-large teams.

Who gets those spots (and where they’re seeded) ultimately comes down to the College Football Playoff committee, a 13-member body. At the head of that body is the chair, and in 2024, Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel is serving in that position.

Manuel brings both playing and administrative experience to the table. A defensive tackle for the Wolverines from 1986-89, he was named athletics director at Michigan in 2016 after holding the same title at Connecticut and Buffalo.

Now entering his third season as a member of the committee after watching his school capture the trophy last year, Manuel was tabbed committee chair in February and will lead the group tasked with determining the teams that have a chance to compete for a national championship.

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Official: U-M extends AD Warde Manuel five years

Congrats, Warde! #GoBlue

Many fans of Michigan football and basketball insisted that athletic director Warde Manuel wasn’t long for the job in recent years. However, in the interim, he was named chair of the College Football Playoff committee and essentially given an award that equates to AD of the year.

Now, a sobering moment for those who were looking for change: the University of Michigan has given Manuel a five-year contract extension.

While Manuel was unable to secure an already-extended Jim Harbaugh from going to the NFL, he not only took action on Juwan Howard, he hired what appears to be a stellar replacement in basketball coach Dusty May.

Full release:

The University of Michigan has announced a five-year contract extension for Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, so that his term will runthrough June 30, 2030.

“During Warde’s tenure as director, Athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” President Santa J. Ono said during the Board of Regents’ Dec. 5 meeting.

Manuel — who played football under Bo Schembechler, threw the javelin in track and field, and ultimately earned three degrees from U-M — returned to the university in 2016 following a successful tenure as the athletic director at the University of Connecticut.

He is the 12th athletic director in U-M’s history and oversees 29 teams, more than 900 student-athletes, an annual budget of $250 million and a staff of 400. The department remains financially independent and self-supporting.

“I want to express my gratitude to President Ono, Board Chair Kathy White, and the members of the Board of Regents who have been very supportive of me and our athletic department,” Manuel said. “I look forward to continuing the success that we have driven together during this changing landscape in college athletics.

“Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics. I especially want to thank the student-athletes, coaches and staff who compete for each of our teams and who have helped us achieve unparalleled success athletically and academically. I am excited to continue giving back to a university that has provided me with so much over my career.”

Under his leadership, the university has won 52 Big Ten championships across all sports since 2020 and last year U-M won the 2023 Football National Championship.

Academics remain a focus for Manuel. A new record was set this summer when 243 student-athletes were named to the 2024 Academic All-Big Ten team, an achievement that requires athletes to be in at least their second academic year and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Manuel is a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and currently represents U-M and the Big Ten as the chairman of the group. He will be honored Dec. 10 with the National Football Foundation’s 2024 John L. Toner Award, which recognizes athletic directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football.

Michigan football announces Sherrone Moore has signed his contract

About time! #GoBlue

On the eve of Michigan football’s season opener against Fresno State, some odd news hit the wire when it was revealed that new head coach Sherrone Moore still had not signed his contract that was offered back in January.

Many speculated as to what that was about, with some jeering the Wolverines for what appeared like a contract signing at the time he was offered. Moore was operating (and had signed) a memorandum of understanding and later insisted that he was being paid as the head coach and that the signing of the contract was just a formality.

Said formality has now been concluded, apparently.

According to Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel on Wednesday, Moore and the university brass have all fully executed the contract and are moving forward as expected.

“We are excited to announce that the full contract for University of Michigan Football Coach Sherrone Moore has been signed by all parties,” Manuel said. “He is a proven leader and has been a great ambassador during his seven-plus years representing Michigan. Our university and athletic department leadership is behind Coach Moore, his coaching staff and the great student-athletes that compete on the field and in the classroom. We are excited to see our team take the field this Saturday against Arkansas State.”

Of course this was just a formality and a head coach can operate under a memorandum of understanding for quite some time.

Regardless, Moore shared in his statement that he’s excited to move forward in fully official capacity and that his focus has remained on the team rather than just himself.

“Our University of Michigan administration led by President Santa Ono and Athletic Director Warde Manuel has been tremendous throughout this process, and I am excited to have this full contract completed,” Moore said. “Their support for our team is greatly appreciated and all three of us are aligned in our goals for this football program. We want the attention to be on the players that work so hard to represent this team and university at the highest level. All of my focus is and always will be centered on the mental, physical and spiritual development of the young men that suit up to play for Michigan. Go Blue!”

Two games into his official capacity as the head coach, Moore is 1-1, having beaten Fresno State 30-10 before losing to Texas, 31-12. Up next, Moore hopes to get his team right against a 2-0 Arkansas State team.

Warde Manuel gets high honor from National Football Foundation

This will ruffle some #Michigan fan feathers. #GoBlue

Michigan fans may have qualms with the leadership of the athletic department — mostly due to head coaching losses in John Beilein and Jim Harbaugh as well as being slow with NIL — but greater organizations are bestowing honors upon that same AD.

Perhaps in a surprise to those who ardently follow the maize and blue, but not to those outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel — who is soon set to become the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee — was honored by the National Football Foundation as the 2024 NFF John L. Toner Award, given to the best athletic director in the country.

Here is the full release from NFF:

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan who also headed the athletics programs at the University of Connecticut and the University at Buffalo, will be the recipient of the 2024 NFF John L. Toner Award. He will officially be honored Dec. 10 during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

“As a former student-athlete at Michigan, Warde Manuel knows first-hand the value of college athletics. He has subsequently crafted a career that has allowed him to become one of the top collegiate athletics administrators of his generation,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “He has guided the Maize and Blue program during a period of unprecedented change while ensuring that the school’s 29 varsity teams have competed at the highest academic and performance levels, including winning the CFP national title last season. We are thrilled to honor him as the 2024 Toner Award recipient.”

First presented in 1997, the John L. Toner Award recognizes athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football. The award is named in honor of its inaugural recipient, the late John L. Toner who was a former athletics director and football coach at Connecticut. Toner, an NCAA President from 1983-85, joined the NFF Board in 1988 and served as the vice chairman from 2000-2008.

“I am happy to congratulate Warde Manuel as this year’s recipient of the NFF John L. Toner Award,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “He is highly regarded in the Big Ten Conference and across college athletics for the valuable leadership he has provided throughout his career. The entire Big Ten Conference congratulates Warde on this well-deserved recognition.”

Manuel, a two-sport athlete at Michigan who played defensive end for Hall of Fame Coach Bo Schembechler, took over the Wolverine athletics program in January of 2016. He became just the 12th athletics director in the university’s 140-year intercollegiate athletics history, overseeing U-M’s 29 varsity teams and more than 950 student-athletes.

Manuel became athletics director in the second year of head football coach Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure, and from 2016-2023, the Wolverines won 78.2% of their games with an overall record of 79-22, including a national championship, three consecutive Big Ten titles and seven bowl game appearances. The team placed in the Top 25 in six of the eight seasons, including the past three seasons with a school-best ranking of No. 3 or better.

This past January, Harbaugh departed for the NFL, and Manuel tapped Sherrone Moore, the Wolverine offensive coordinator, as the new head coach. Moore notched a 4-0 record during the 2023 season as an acting head coach, including wins over Ohio State and Penn State.

Manuel’s reputation and knowledge of football landed him a spot on the prestigious College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee in 2022, and this past February he was named committee chair for the 2024 football season, the first year of the 12-team format.

Four College Football Hall of Fame inductees from Michigan, Charles Woodson (2018), John Elliot (2020), Mark Messner (2022) and Steve Hutchinson (2024), and two NFF National Scholar-Athletes, Aidan Hutchinson (2021) and Zak Zinter (2023), have been honored by the National Football Foundation with Manuel at the helm of the Wolverine program.

During Manuel’s seven-year tenure, the Wolverines have captured an NCAA Championship in football (2023), women’s gymnastics (2021), and finished runner up nationally in wrestling (2022), field hockey (2020), baseball (2019), men’s basketball (2018) and women’s cross country (2017). Wolverines have combined to win 23 individual NCAA titles during Manuel’s tenure, 85 regular season and tournament conference titles, 61 Academic All-Americas honors, 535 Big Ten Distinguished scholars, and 3,548 Academic All-Big Ten honors.

Manuel has also served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) executive committee since 2009 and served a one-year term as president during the 2020-21 academic year. He also serves on the board of directors for The Collegiate Women Sports Awards, the executive committee for the Black AD Alliance and is one of Michigan’s representatives on the Big Ten Conference Equality Coalition.

Prior to his arrival at U-M, Manuel served as the director of athletics at the University of Connecticut. UConn teams won six NCAA national championships under Manuel’s leadership — the most ever by UConn teams in a three-year period.  He also led a 20-sport program at the University at Buffalo from 2005-2012.

A native of New Orleans, Manuel was a high school All-America football player before playing at U-M for Schembechler. He earned multiple letters and started at defensive end in his sophomore year. His football career was cut short by a neck injury, and he subsequently lettered as a member of the Wolverines’ track and field team.

Manuel earned his bachelor of general studies with a focus in psychology in 1990, his master’s degree in social work from U-M in 1993 and an MBA from U-M’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 2005.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, he became coordinator of U-M’s Wade H. McCree Jr. Incentive Scholarship Program. He then worked briefly as an academic advisor with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association before being named assistant athletic director of academic affairs. Manuel later returned to his alma mater in 1996, working in various capacities until eventually becoming athletics director.

Manuel will be honored during the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10 at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino alongside recipients of the other NFF Major Awards. In addition to the presentation of the NFF Major Awards, the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas will provide the stage for the induction of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; and the bestowing of the 35th William V. Campbell Trophy® to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete.

Click here for the full list of previous recipients of the NFF John L. Toner Award, and click here  for more information on the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, including how to reserve tickets.

Michigan basketball is still somehow sticking with head coach Juwan Howard

Michigan basketball is still somehow sticking with head coach Juwan Howard

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke with reporters earlier this week and expressed another vote of confidence in head basketball coach Juwan Howard.

Michigan is 8-17 this season, including an abysmal 3-11 in Big Ten play. The program was in the Elite Eight under Howard just three years ago, but it has since fallen to 19-15 in 2021-22, to 18-16 in 2022-23, then to this year’s disaster.

Related: ChatGPT ranks the most intimidating Big Ten football stadiums to play in

More specifically, the Wolverines only have two wins dating back to December 19. The program is 2-12 in that span, only with home victories against Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Despite the free-fall, Manuel seems to be sticking with Howard:

“It would be fair to say I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” Manuel said to reporters this week. “It’s one of those things that — I guess I can’t say it any clearer; I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. And so my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.”

I was taught years ago that a coaching job or hire is best judged by the thoughts of the program’s rivals — where if fans of the rival want a coach to stay in place, that likely means a move should be made. That’s how Badgers fans should view Howard, separate from his incident with Greg Gard from two years ago. The longer he stays in place at Michigan, the better it is for the rest of the Big Ten.

Things have gotten really bad for the Wolverines. One should wonder how bad it needs to get before change is necessary.

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Michigan announces NIL partnership with Learfield, Altius Sports Partners

This is huge! #GoBlue

The University of Michigan has been somewhat embattled due to perceived lagging on the name, image, and likeness front compared to some other schools. But the Wolverines remain committed to rectifying that.

On Wednesday, the university announced a strategic partnership with Learfield (which has already been a partner in branding and broadcasting) as well as Altius Sports Partners to enhance and grow the NIL sphere in Ann Arbor. With the new partnership, Altius will hire an executive general manager for NIL who will work on campus to help facilitate deals and educate student-athletes on what’s available to them within the NIL space. This move will not replace collectives but will instead enhance what organizations such as Champions Circle and Stadium and Main already do.

For more on this new deal, you can read the full press release below.

Full release

Making a strategic play to empower its student-athletes, the University of Michigan Athletics unveiled today a strategic investment in the growth of its in-house NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) program with the creation of an executive general manager (EGM) position in collaboration with Altius Sports Partners and a senior manager of business development in collaboration with Learfield and Michigan Sports Properties.

This forward-thinking initiative continues Michigan’s rapid embrace of the ever-evolving NIL ecosystem while further amplifying the impact through the unique collaboration of two industry powerhouses. Michigan’s new structure ensures that U-M student-athletes have a centralized point of contact and access to specialized expertise, enabling them to navigate and maximize NIL opportunities skillfully.

“I am pleased to announce this unique and strategic investment through a new agreement with Altius Sports Partners and the growth of our Learfield relationships,” stated Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “The dedicated roles through ASP and Learfield provide a crucial step forward in supporting and empowering our student-athletes while combining three powerful brands aligned to capitalize on the dynamic opportunities within the realm of NIL.”

The foremost advisor to collegiate athletics departments, Altius Sports Partners will recruit, train, and supervise its in-house NIL EGM position. Collaborating closely with the athletics department, the EGM will play a pivotal role in enhancing all aspects of Michigan’s existing NIL program, educating stakeholders, elevating the overall experience of student-athletes, and increasing awareness of NIL initiatives within the business community and U-M collectives.

“We’re excited to partner with the University of Michigan, an institution that prioritizes comprehensive athlete support,” said Casey Schwab, CEO of Altius Sports Partners. “Our collaboration is designed to create initiatives that provide diverse opportunities for Michigan’s athletes in the NIL landscape. We’re eager to identify the right candidates for the in-house NIL EGM position – individuals who share our dedication to empowering athletes and proactively managing change in this dynamic landscape.”

The ASP-led executive general manager will work collaboratively with the newly dedicated position from Learfield, a senior manager of business development who will serve as the NIL subject matter expert for sponsorships while working closely with Athletics, Michigan Sports Properties’ vice president general manager, and local brands to identify opportunities to execute campaigns featuring student-athletes while protecting Michigan IP. Michigan will continue its robust NIL educational and branding support through its existing staff of experts and collaboration with the collectives supporting U-M Athletics, including Champions Circle.

The Altius Sports Partners GM Program, launched in July 2022, is a centralized initiative involving 18 participating institutions, including Michigan. This program emphasizes customized education, strategic guidance, and execution support for NIL initiatives tailored to each institution’s needs and priorities. Michigan is the first school to have an executive-level position in the program.

Learfield’s collaboration with Michigan Athletics began in 2001 and now consists of an enterprise-wide approach with support from its flagship multimedia rights division, licensed merchandise agency CLC, digital ticket and marketing platform provider Paciolan, and digital solutions leader SIDEARM Sports. Learfield is the commercial and intellectual property rights holder for the University of Michigan, along with 176 university partners featuring over 15,000 brand relationships, making the company the authority on NIL deal-making. In February 2023, Learfield Allied, a first-of-its-kind initiative enabling brands to partner with universities and student-athletes to create co-branding opportunities around name, image, and likeness (NIL) was integrated into the partnership. Through the introduction of Learfield Allied, along with industry-leading branded content creation via Learfield Studios, Michigan Athletics has executed innovative NIL activations with notable brands such as Cheez-It, Ford, Peloton, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Meijer and provided fans with original series such as Those Who Stay and Michigan Made featuring the women’s basketball (Season 1) and women’s gymnastics (Season 2) teams.

“We are thrilled to continue our support of Michigan Athletics as it continues to build on its incredible momentum in the NIL space by strengthening connections with strategic brand partners,” said Solly Fulp, Executive Vice President, NIL Growth & Development at Learfield. “This enhanced partnership demonstrates Michigan’s commitment to supporting its athletics programs, student-athletes and passionate fan base.”

Recognized as an innovator in NIL as the first school to activate a group licensing deal with its student-athletes, Michigan Athletics continues to leverage its Academic Success Program, Athletics Career Center, and Leadership Development Programs, providing year-round opportunities for student-athletes. Michigan’s INFLCR-based VICTORS Program continues to be the largest NIL marketplace in the county.

Warde Manuel discusses Juwan Howard, Michigan basketball future

This isn’t going to be popular. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan basketball has been in something of a tailspin in recent months, if not the past year-plus. After winning the Big Ten and going to the Elite Eight, the Wolverines have been in decline on the hardwood, and this season has more so resembled that of Brian Ellerbe and Tommy Amaker’s tenures than that of John Beilein. It’s caused many to question whether or not favored son Juwan Howard is the right man to lead the program.

On the heels of a 29-point loss to Illinois — a team Howard has yet to beat since he arrived in June 2019 — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel discussed the state of the basketball program after meeting with the media in an unrelated Zoom call. He says he has spoken to Howard about the state of the program in recent weeks and that he’ll continue to support the former Fab Five standout in the head coaching role.

“Juwan and I have talked, yes,” Manuel said. “And we’ll continue to have those conversations as the season goes through and I continue to support him in an effort to turn this around and win like he expects to. There’s no there’s no lack of effort from our student-athletes or coaches. And it’s a lack of execution at times and we have to be better — he knows that, they know that and expectations are high, but I will continue to have the conversations with him. And we’ll continue to support him in our program and continue to be there for him.

“It’s difficult. None of these student-athletes or coaches or staff — they’re working to win. And when it doesn’t happen, there’s no bigger disappointment than they have in the results or lack of results in the success of winning. And so they will continue to get my support and we will continue to have conversations and work through it.”

So, does that mean no changes at the top? As far as Manuel sees it, despite having lost 12 of the last 14 games, at the moment, Howard’s job appears to be safe. Whether or not that could change at season’s end remains to be seen, but at the moment, the status quo will continue.

“It would be fair to say I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” Manuel said. “It’s one of those things that — I guess I can’t say it any clearer; I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. And so my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.”

Michigan basketball’s next game comes on Saturday when it hosts rival Michigan State at Crisler Center at 8 p.m. EST. The Wolverines’ last game against the Spartans was an 81-62 loss in East Lansing.

Warde Manuel not surprised by coaching departures, still dedicated to spending big on Michigan football assistant coaches

There goes one narrative. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One of the narratives that’s perpetuated through the Michigan football ecosphere is that the Wolverines did not do enough to retain coaches following the national championship win.

Not only did Jim Harbaugh depart the program for the NFL, but the entire defensive staff has been gutted, with no returnees from that side of the ball coming back next year as part of the coaching staff. It had appeared that Mike Elston and Steve Clinkscale could return, with the latter reportedly insisting that he would remain in Ann Arbor, only for both to end up following Harbaugh to Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel shared that though he hired Sherrone Moore to have continuity within the program, he was aware that this mass departure was on the table and it was planned for.

“I knew it was a possibility that Jim would want to talk to some staff about going there. And obviously he did and they made a decision,” Manuel said. “And, as I have with Jim, I’ve never gotten mad if people have an opportunity in making a decision. I know some of them were already being talked to even before Jim was selected for the head coach at the Chargers. And so these are decisions that people make and it happens over time, and it gives Sherrone an opportunity to rebuild the staff, particularly the defensive side in the way that he wants. And we feel good about the people that he is bringing on.

“And so we are taking this as an opportunity to keep it moving forward. And to work with those who have stayed and to welcome those who will come in new with the same expectations for winning, for developing these young men, and for doing the things that we feel are necessary to move the program forward. And so I think he’s doing a good job with recruiting. He talked to all of the staff and some of them, you know, had a debate about it. Some of them really wanted to go and we wish them well and look forward to those who come into the program.”

With that in mind, Moore’s contract is about $7 million less per year than what the leaked Harbaugh offer was. Does that mean that with those savings it gives Michigan more latitude to spend on assistant coaches?

Manuel says yes and no. It’s not that that money will be reallocated as much as this was the intended level of spending on assistants to begin with and that he had started spending more as it was on the support staff. The plan is to continue to spend to invest in talent that comes to Ann Arbor as far as the football program is concerned.

“Yes — and it’s not really a savings,” Manuel said. “Prior to Jim leaving, I invested more in our assistant pool. And it really brought it up by a couple of million dollars to invest in our assistant coaches. And so that was done prior to Jim deciding to leave to go to the Chargers and that remains with Sherrone, in terms of that investment.”

Warde Manuel addresses Juwan Howard’s future with Michigan basketball

This isn’t going to be popular. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan basketball has been in something of a tailspin in recent months, if not the past year-plus. After winning the Big Ten and going to the Elite Eight, the Wolverines have been in decline on the hardwood, and this season has more so resembled that of Brian Ellerbe and Tommy Amaker’s tenures than that of John Beilein. It’s caused many to question whether or not favored son Juwan Howard is the right man to lead the program.

On the heels of a 29-point loss to Illinois — a team Howard has yet to beat since he arrived in June 2019 — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel discussed the state of the basketball program after meeting with the media in an unrelated Zoom call. He says he has spoken to Howard about the state of the program in recent weeks and that he’ll continue to support the former Fab Five standout in the head coaching role.

“Juwan and I have talked, yes,” Manuel said. “And we’ll continue to have those conversations as the season goes through and I continue to support him in an effort to turn this around and win like he expects to. There’s no there’s no lack of effort from our student-athletes or coaches. And it’s a lack of execution at times and we have to be better — he knows that, they know that and expectations are high, but I will continue to have the conversations with him. And we’ll continue to support him in our program and continue to be there for him.

“It’s difficult. None of these student-athletes or coaches or staff — they’re working to win. And when it doesn’t happen, there’s no bigger disappointment than they have in the results or lack of results in the success of winning. And so they will continue to get my support and we will continue to have conversations and work through it.”

So, does that mean no changes at the top? As far as Manuel sees it, despite having lost 12 of the last 14 games, at the moment, Howard’s job appears to be safe. Whether or not that could change at season’s end remains to be seen, but at the moment, the status quo will continue.

“It would be fair to say I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” Manuel said. “It’s one of those things that — I guess I can’t say it any clearer; I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. And so my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.”

Michigan basketball’s next game comes on Saturday when it hosts rival Michigan State at Crisler Center at 8 p.m. EST. The Wolverines’ last game against the Spartans was an 81-62 loss in East Lansing.