Warde J. Manuel

Warde J. Manuel was named Michigan’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics on Jan. 29, 2016.

He is the 12th athletic director in 150 years of intercollegiate athletics at U-M. The self-supporting department has 31 teams, more than 900 student-athletes, an annual budget of $151 million, and a staff of 350.

He returned to U-M following a nearly four years as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut. UConn teams won six NCAA national championships under his leadership — the most ever by UConn teams in a three-year period.

Prior to UConn, he led a 20-sport program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo from 2005-12. During his tenure, the Buffalo Bulls experienced an unparalleled period of success from an athletic, academic and community service perspective.

He was a high school All-America football player and played for U-M under Bo Schembechler, earning multiple letters and starting 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 track and field team.

He 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.

He was coordinator of U-M’s Wade H. McCree Jr. Incentive Scholarship Program from 1990-93. He subsequently worked briefly as an academic advisor with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association before being named assistant athletic director of academic affairs.

Afterward, he served in several roles within Michigan’s Athletic Department from 1996-2005. In 2000 he was named associate athletic director with oversight responsibility for operational facets of the university’s athletic program. He also oversaw Michigan’s football and men’s basketball programs.