The Michigan Wolverines did not have the 2024 season they had hoped for, but they finished the regular season on a high note with a dramatic 13-10 upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the most recent version of “The Game.” Following that win, the school made a significant choice regarding Warde Manuel.
Manuel has been Michigan’s athletic director since 2016, and the school’s many sports teams have had a lot of success throughout his tenure. Of course, the Wolverines’ greatest draw right now is their football team, which won the National Championship over the Washington Huskies last season.
In 2024, the Wolverines faced numerous challenges, including losing a significant amount of talent, losing head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, and being the subject of a large sign-stealing controversy. Their victory over Ohio State, however, was significant, and the team announced on Thursday a five-year contract extension with Manuel.
According to the Michigan Athletics official X account (previously known as Twitter), “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 run through June 30, 2030.”
While things did not go quite as planned for Manuel, the Wolverines were able to overcome all of the obstacles they faced to produce a 7-5 record in the regular season. Of course, the cherry on top was defeating Ohio State and perhaps derailing their entire campaign in Week 14.
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This new deal is a significant triumph for Manuel, but he clearly has his job cut out for him. The Wolverines will need a lot more quality on their football team if they want to return to the National Championship Game, and the school will be determined to move on from their sign-stealing controversy as soon as possible.
It’s difficult to dismiss what Manuel has accomplished, and he’s deserved a nice new contract as a result. However, he has some work to do to help Michigan get back on track after a disappointing 2024 season.
