Michigan hires ZRG Turnkey for Warde Manuel AD search

The clock has been running since July. Now Michigan has formally started the search, and it put out a mission statement to go with it.

Clayton Sayfie

@CSayf23

Today, president-elect C. Cybele Raver and Michigan have officially launched its search for the next athletic director to replace Warde Manuel, who was let go this summer but will serve in the role until Dec. 31 at the latest. "The university is seeking a leader of unquestioned integrity who will take a fresh, comprehensive look at Michigan Athletics and guide the department through a period of transformational change in college sports." t.co/JpZyBxoBvP

"A period of transformational change" is about as diplomatic as a press release gets. Manuel's exit was announced July 20 as a separation agreement. It came after the investigation into former football coach Sherrone Moore's relationship with his executive assistant and a wider probe of the athletic department. Michigan is buying out the last 3 years of Manuel's contract, reportedly at about $7.1 million, and on paper he resigns on Dec. 31 after 10 years as AD. Nobody in Ann Arbor is pretending it was his idea.

The firm is the headline. Michigan keeps going back to ZRG Turnkey because ZRG keeps delivering the people Michigan wants.

Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press

@RealTonyGarcia

U-M announced it's begun its "national search" for an athletic director and brought in executive search firm ZRG Turnkey to facilitate it, the same firm that led to the hiring of Dusty May and Kyle Whittingham. t.co/7z6b8JNiZn

ZRG Turnkey was founded by U-M alum Len Perna, and Michigan has used it for its 2 biggest coaching hires of the last 2 years: Whittingham for football and Dusty May for basketball. One more fun fact: the firm also helped Michigan hire Manuel in the first place. So the people who brought in the outgoing AD are now picking the person who replaces him. Make of that what you will.

The leadership setup is a little unusual too, because the search sits right on top of a change at the president's office.

Austin Meek

@byAustinMeek

Michigan is using search firm ZRG Turnkey to assist with the search for a new athletic director. President-elect C. Cybele Raver will lead the search along with current president Domenico Grasso. The timeline will be interesting. Warde Manuel departs at the end of the year.

President-elect C. Cybele Raver will co-lead the search with current president Domenico Grasso, which means the incoming boss gets a say in her first major hire before she even takes over. That's the right call. The timeline is the tricky part. Manuel is gone by New Year's at the latest, the coaching carousel and the portal will be spinning by then, and whoever takes this job takes over a department still cleaning up after the Moore scandal and a football program that's supposed to be rebuilding under Whittingham.

Some on the beat see a positive in how early this is starting, since the school isn't waiting until January to scramble.

Chris Balas

@Balas_Wolverine

Monday Musings — Michigan has started its search for a new A.D. early, and that's a good sign. Here's why ... t.co/HM1mUwGuE2

He has a point. Michigan has known since July that this seat would open, and starting now gives ZRG roughly 2 months to have a name ready by Dec. 31. Watch for the leaks: in a search run by this firm, the first real candidate names usually come from the beat writers before the school says a word. Whoever it is will be making the department's big calls on revenue sharing, NIL and the football staff for years.