Staff Directory
- Title:
- Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics
- Phone:
- 764-9416
Warde J. Manuel was named Michigan's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics on Jan. 29, 2016. Manuel's original five-year appointment was extended on Feb. 18, 2021, and runs through June 30, 2026.
Manuel's tenure in Ann Arbor has brought him full-circle, from an accomplished student-athlete and athletic administrator at Michigan, to building a distinguished career as an athletic director, and back again. A three-time alumnus and two-sport athlete who played football under Bo Schembechler, Manuel returned to U-M following a nearly four-year run as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut.
Manuel has served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) executive committee since 2009 and served a one-year term as president during the 2020-21 academic year. He also served on the board of directors for The Collegiate Women Sports Awards, the executive committee for the Black AD Alliance, is one of Michigan's representatives on the Big Ten Conference Equality Coalition, and currently serves as the President of Lead1 (the FBS Athletic Directors Association).
Manuel's reputation and knowledge of football landed him a spot on the prestigious College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee in 2022, and in February 2024, he was named committee chair for the 2024 football season, the first year of the 12-team playoff format.
In July 2024, Manuel was named recipient of the 2024 National Football Foundation's John L. Toner Award. The Toner Award recognizes athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football.
Manuel is the 12th athletic director in Michigan's intercollegiate athletics history. He oversees an athletic department that sponsors 29 varsity teams with more than 950 student-athletes and 350 staff members. During Manuel's seven-year tenure in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines have captured an NCAA Championship in football (2023), women's gymnastics (2021), and finished runner up nationally in wrestling (2022), field hockey (2020), baseball (2019), men's basketball (2018) and women's cross country (2017). Wolverines have combined to win 23 individual NCAA titles during his tenure, 85 regular season and tournament conference titles, 61 Academic All-American honors, 535 Big Ten Distinguished scholars, and 3,548 Academic All-Big Ten honors.
He returned to U-M following a nearly four-year run as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut (2012-15), highlighted by his recognition as the 2015 NACDA Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year. UConn teams won six NCAA national championships under Manuel's leadership -- the most ever by UConn teams in a three-year period. In 2014, UConn's three national championship teams (field hockey and men's and women's basketball) all posted perfect 1,000 single-year scores in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR). In 2015, 13 UConn teams posted perfect single-year scores, marking a dramatic academic improvement at the school. Field Hockey (2014-15) and Women's Basketball (2013-15) won multiple consecutive national championships during his tenure.
Within three months of his arrival in Storrs, Manuel directed UConn's acceptance into membership of Hockey East, and oversaw a coaching transition in men's basketball. He led the completion of the $40 million fundraising effort for the construction of the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center, which opened in the fall of 2014 to provide UConn basketball programs with a training, practice and academic services home.
Prior to arriving in Connecticut, he led a 20-sport program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo from 2005 through 2012. During his tenure, the Buffalo Bulls experienced an unparalleled period of success from an athletic, academic and community service perspective.
Manuel was honored by Sports Business Journal as a 2008 national "40-Under-40" honoree after receiving the same honor from Business First of Buffalo in Fall 2007. He also accepted the 2007 Opportunity Award from all-time tennis great Billie Jean King when the University at Buffalo was recognized by the Women's Sports Foundation as one of four "standout" colleges and universities in the nation for outstanding achievement in providing equitable athletic opportunities for its female student-athletes.
Born May 22, 1968, Manuel is a native of New Orleans. He was a high school All-American football player and played for U-M under Schembechler. He earned multiple letters and started 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 Wolverines' track and field team.
Manuel earned his bachelor of general studies degree 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.
After graduating from U-M, he was coordinator of U-M's Wade H. McCree Jr. Incentive Scholarship Program from 1990 to 1993. The program is a partnership between the Michigan Association of State Universities and Detroit Public Schools that helps students prepare for higher education at public universities in Michigan.
He subsequently worked briefly as an academic advisor with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association before being named assistant athletic director of academic affairs.
Afterward, Manuel 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 programs. He also oversaw Michigan's football and men's basketball programs.
Manuel, and his wife, Chrislan, a U-M alum who earned a master of health services administration degree in 1993, have a daughter, Emma, and a son, Evan.
Highlights during Michigan Tenure
· In the last five years (2020-24), Michigan has won 52 Big Ten Championships across all sports. The next closest conference competitor is Ohio State with 28 league titles.
· U-M has finished top six in the LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings five times during Manuel's tenure, including top three on three occasions: second (2018-19) and third (2020-21 and 2021-22).
· In 2022-23, the Wolverines set a school and Big Ten Conference academic year record with 13 Big Ten championships, including the second consecutive titles in football and ice hockey. Four Michigan student-athletes earned national player of the year awards while U-M attained five individual national championship honors between three student-athletes. An incredible 35 student-athletes won individual Big Ten championships while 44 attained All-American accolades. Nearly 500 student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
· The Wolverines claimed 13 conference championships during the 2021-22 academic year, again leading all Big Ten schools. Twelve teams finished among the top 10 nationally. The Wolverines set a school record with 507 student-athletes earning Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors, and 11 individuals earning Academic All-American honors. Another school record was set, with 701 student-athletes earning a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the academic year. Forty-eight student-athletes earned All-American honors during the year, while 118 earned All-Big Ten honors, and 28 won individual conference championships.
· In 2017-18, Michigan unveiled the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus South Complex with the official opening in January 2018. The facility provides specialized spaces for nine of Michigan's varsity teams, shared resources for all the teams, as well as competition venues. It includes strength and conditioning, athletic medicine, meeting space and locker rooms, and allows for consolidation of various team facilities currently dispersed across the campus.
