The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/859588
SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 23 "We had the conversation, I brought it forth, and we talked about it. The ath- letic directors talked through it, and the scheduling model is going to remain the same through 2032 — unless, of course, something changes. Then it won't. But right now it is set." The Wolverine: What drove the deci- sion to bring Notre Dame back onto the football schedule? Manuel: "Michigan, which is No. 1 in wins and No. 1 in winning percentage, playing Notre Dame, which is No. 2 in wins and No. 2 in winning percentage, is a great matchup every year. Our insti- tutions are two and a half hours away. Both our fan bases respect one another. "Jim and I have a great deal of respect for Notre Dame, for what they have accomplished in their history. [Notre Dame athletics director] Jack Swarbrick has been a friend and is a great col- league nationally. "For me, it's a tremendous rivalry that I would love to have more consistently than we do. I'm looking forward to the two-game series [in 2018 and 2019], and we'll see if we can get something else on the books long-term for the fu- ture, in the mid-'20s and beyond." The Wolverine: What are your thoughts about neutral-site football games in the future? Manuel: "I understand the math of it. I am a traditionalist around Michigan football and the Michigan football expe- rience. My preference would be to limit any future one-time, neutral-site games. "I'm not 100 percent against it. At the same time, I feel Michigan Stadium is the best stadium in the world, the best place to watch a football game. My pref- erence is to have Michigan football play in Michigan Stadium." The Wolverine: But you wouldn't rule out the potential game in Rome that Jim Harbaugh mentioned recently? Manuel: "No, I wouldn't. That's a unique experience, a one-time experi- ence for our team and our fans, if it ever exists or we ever wanted to do it. There are some games that are already played internationally. "Last year, Hawai'i played Cal in Austra- lia. So there are some opportunities that may exist down the line that I may listen to and be open to. But in the general sense, I would prefer that we would play at Michigan Stadium." The Wolverine: What are your thoughts on the men's basketball program after a memorable season in many ways? Manuel: "John Beilein did one of the best jobs coaching a team, from where we were in the middle of the Big Ten season to the end. That was before the plane incident. "I saw, particularly after the Ohio State game, a significant change in that team. I give a lot of credit to Coach Beilein and the assistant coaches, and I also give a lot of credit to that team and those se- niors in particular. They worked so hard to change the direction that the season was headed. "Then you had the plane incident and the response, the sense of playing for each other, the love of themselves, the team, the university and the game. "The run they went on between the Big Ten Tournament and when we lost to Oregon in the Sweet 16 was, to me, just unbelievable. "I think the program is in great hands with Coach Beilein. I thought that even when we were going through the issues in the middle of the Big Ten season and what we had been through up to that point. John is a phenomenal person, a great coach, and it was an outstand- ing job. That program is in great hands with John, and I look forward to work- ing with him for many years to come." The Wolverine: What are you expect- ing out of your new hockey coach, Mel Pearson, and that program? Manuel: "Mel has hit the ground run- ning. I'm not sure what to expect yet. When you have that type of coaching change … on my wall is Red Berenson's picture with 'Legend' next to it. When you replace a legend, it's always hard. "But I don't know of a better person I could have chosen than Mel. He knows this place inside and out, having spent 23 years here as an assistant. He did a phenomenal job at Michigan Tech, res- urrecting that program. "That showed me a lot. He had an out- standing conversation with me about this job. He has a plan in place. The ex- pectation he has for this team is to win. The expectation I have is to win. "What that will look like, how fast we're able to get back to the elite status we had two years ago, when we lost to North Dakota in the round of eight, we don't know. "This program that he's taken over is still a power in my mind. We didn't have a great year last year, by anybody's stan- dards, and Red will be the first to tell you that. But let's be clear — Red and the staff recruited, and we continue to recruit, top student-athletes who play hockey. "I don't want to put too much expecta- tion on him, any more than he puts on himself. I know he plans to win. I look forward to supporting him and that team. "When I announced him to the team before we went to the press conference, I know all those kids were excited to get a chance to say hello. He shook ev- ery one of their hands and had a great conversation with them. There is a lot of excitement for what Michigan hockey can do this year and into the future." — John Borton In Manuel's opinion, John Beilein did "one of the best jobs coaching a team" during the 2016- 17 campaign, and the postseason run that ended in the Sweet 16 was "just unbelievable." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN