The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1014905
SEPTEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 23 "When we started the year, I think John told me in the last two years, we lost the top six scorers from those two teams. "I just smile every time I think about that run." The Wolverine: What was your level of concern when the Detroit Pistons expressed an interest in Beilein, and how did those discussions go? Manuel: " You're always concerned when somebody says 'I'd like the opportunity to speak to somebody else about a job.' I didn't want him to go anywhere. I'd already offered him an extension, and before he was able to tell me, had already talked to him about what I wanted to do for his staff. "I wasn't trying to keep them off the market. I was trying to say, 'You've earned this for the success you've brought to this program.' "I got more concerned as it went on in the process. But John kept me informed all along. My concern never re- ally was overwhelming, be- cause John told me where things were. If I heard some- thing, I'd reach out to him. "It was as good of a process as you could go through. I un- derstood his interest. The NBA is the most talented basketball league in the world. It has the best talent, the best coaches. "John — being a tremendous, in my opinion, Hall of Fame college coach — wanted to have that conversation. I wasn't offended by it. Toward the end it put me on the edge a little bit. But it turned out great. "I applaud John. The way he handled it was totally above board, every step of the way." The Wolverine: Mel Pearson gets Michigan hockey back into the Frozen Four his first year back here. Your thoughts on that? Manuel: "Unbelievable! Coming off a year of not making it to the NCAAs, Mel's first year back, the transition with Red [Berenson] … it couldn't have gone any better. "Coach Berenson was right by my side for much of that transi- tion and helpful with his thoughts, very helpful when I brought Mel back to help Mel with the transition. It was really smooth. "Again, it's something I never went into thinking about los- ing, but the Frozen Four in his first year? The team just came together in a great way. It was a great set of young men, who I think by the end of the year were having more fun than they even anticipated they would have playing the game together. "That credit goes to them, but also to Mel and his staff, for embracing a common goal. They got those coming back to the team to use the frustration that they didn't make the NCAAs the previous year to catapult them to the season they had and make the Frozen Four. "I'm very proud of Mel and the team, and look forward to watching him continue to produce that level of success. He's really good." The Wolverine: There are obviously a lot more success stories throughout this past year. What stands out to you? Manuel: "Marcia Pankratz getting back to the Final Four in field hockey was big. [Wrestling coach] Joe McFarland going out the way he did by finishing fourth in the country … he put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into Michigan and Michigan wrestling. He wrestled here and coached here as an assistant, and was the head coach for all that time. I'm very happy for him. "To see all the champion- ships that we had an oppor- tunity to win. For women's swimming and diving to win a championship, water polo winning, men's soccer having their first Big Ten title ever. [Head coach] Chaka Daley, the year before, had a disap- pointing season. "Soccer is one of those games where it's really, really hard to determine how close you are to success. I love Chaka as a person, and I'm so proud to see what he's going to do going into the future. "Not having the year we wanted to have in men's and women's lacrosse last sea- son, and having both [head coaches] Kevin Conry and Hannah Nielsen in their first years, made it really exciting to see the huge strides they're making in their programs. I'm sure the stadium and the facilities certainly help. "We had a national champion in the 10,000 meters, Ben Fla- nagan. I have three TVs at home, and on one of the TVs, I had the NCAAs. The 10,000 meters is a long race. We're watching and watching, but on the big TV I've got something else on. "It's two laps to go, and I switched it to the big TV, so I could hear the commentating. And Ben made that move, and I was sitting behind some friends who were sitting on the couch. I jumped up, and I was yelling at the TV. It was just so great to watch. "It was just a great year all around. We set records academi- cally in GPA, the number of academic all-conference players and the number of kids who were recognized for having a 3.7 in the classroom. "We had 10 teams in the top 10 percent nationally in terms of the APR [Academic Progress Report]. We won 12 Big Ten championships, matching the most we've ever had. And we had very few — knock on wood — issues with students in the community. You combine all that, and it's the perfect trifecta for an AD. "We want to get better. We want to improve. We had op- portunities to win more championships than 12 — we had four or five second-place finishes. We could have surpassed the record. "And we'd like to win more national championships. The coaches are thirsty. They're supported at the level where they can compete for national championships, and they want to get that done. "We've got a lot of work to do, but I'm very proud of where we are and proud of our student-athletes for their efforts, in the classroom, on the fields of play and in the community." — John Borton Joe McFarland's tenure as the U-M wrestling coach ended with his team claiming its first NCAA trophy and highest team placement at the national championships (tied for fourth) since 2005. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY