One of the five associate ADs under Hackett was a minority. But of the 29 head coaches listed on the department website, two are minorities. Diversityĭiversity is one of U-M President Mark Schlissel’s missions, and hiring Manuel was a high-profile step. The Summer Swarm tour, for instance, cost nearly $212,000.
There are more analyst positions than under Hoke, a larger recruiting department and more individuals working for the program. Since Harbaugh arrived, the staff has swelled, with 47 people at the start of last season. While many had problems with Brandon’s micromanaging and involvement in small decisions, Hackett was at the other extreme, as many didn’t feel they knew him.įootball may get a closer eye under Manuel’s watch as well. Hackett admits he has many other things in his life, one of the reasons he wouldn’t stay on, and those commitments often took him away from being present. Simply being in the office and on campus will be significant. While there were areas where that became an issue, such as in the football building, it was a major boost to the Olympic sports knowing he cared for them. Many on those teams loved Dave Brandon, because he was a constant presence at their games and practices.
That would resonate with many who had little relationship with Hackett. AccessĪn important aspect of Manuel’s press conference was his plan to talk to coaches and athletes on all of the teams to get their feedback. He will assess efficiency and examine the backgrounds of those in leadership positions. While Hackett hasn’t cut many jobs, that may have to be a necessary evil for Manuel. But those were offset by job security fears as he turned over dozens of positions during his tenure. Brandon tried to boost morale by offering the staff various unique opportunities - night football in the Big House with their own jerseys, a big staff party and an ice cream truck. Recreating unity could be one of Manuel’s goals, as he said he plans to assess the culture.
He said in a radio interview they used code words - calling it “Project Unicorn” - to keep it from the other employees in the office because of the sensitive nature. On the big projects, like Harbaugh and the apparel deal, he created a select team that separated itself, for example working out of the office in Michigan Stadium to identify a football coach. That changed the culture of the 350-person department, creating more isolation and five separate teams instead of a unified group and unwittingly some competition between the divisions for attention and resources. Hackett reorganized the department so there were five managers who reported to him.
He worked on big projects and clearly did that well, but he also delegated. Hackett has admitted he was not at U-M to be a day-to-day manager. While many of those aren’t public, Manuel may have some to address.
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