The hiring of former Michigan University associate athletic director Warde J. Manuel as the University of Buffalo's fulltime athletic director is a positive step towards the improvement of the University's struggling sports programs. Manuel beat out finalists that included athletic directors from Portland State, Southeastern Louisiana, and Brigham Young Universities. Manuel stabilizes a post that has been stuck in "interim" limbo since Bob Arkeilpane resigned two years ago. This is not to say Bill Maher did a poor job, he just was not exactly what UB needed. Manuel - and his experience - are exactly what President John Simpson's UB2020 plan and the Corrigan report call for in an AD.
Manuel, named to the position in late July, began his tenure Monday and will be looked upon to lead the department and help turn around a football program that has a total of nine wins since 1999. He has an impressive football pedigree, lettering under legendary football coach Bo Schembechler in the late 1980's as a defensive tackle at Michigan where he started from his sophomore year on. Getting the football program up to speed should be his first priority because strong football schools can fund other athletic programs throughout their departments with lucrative bowl games and exposure garnered through television. In addition, football success provides name recognition and all that comes with it: landing better recruits in other sports and even attracting more and better students to the school. It is a mutually reinforcing process that if successfully implemented will pay dividends throughout every facet of the UB experience.
Attracting Manuel to UB appears to be a coup for Simpson and his administrative recruiting team. While overseeing Michigan's football and basketball programs, Manuel proved himself to be a tenacious fundraiser who compiled over $30 million for the school in many different campaigns, including building a $14 million student athletic facility. These skills garnered attention from other MAC schools like Eastern Michigan who were vying for his services and UB is lucky to have won out. Manuel's fundraising prowess will prove invaluable during his time at UB whose athletic budget is a paltry $15 million and whose coaches are the lowest paid in the MAC. The athletic department has been described as being "in dire straits" financially and the recent Corrigan report described UB's funding as "barley sufficient." Manuel has a major challenge ahead though he seems more than qualified in the fundraising arena.
UB President John Simpson should be commended for this hire. Manuel comes from a program UB can emulate and furthers Simpson's vision of the future in which UB is recognized with the prestige that is afforded public universities such as Ohio State, the University of Washington, whose athletic successes Simpson saw first hand while employed there, and of course Michigan. Though Manuel's tenure will ultimately be judged by the improvement of the athletic department as a whole during his reign, the experience and enthusiasm he brings to the job ensures interesting times ahead. In short, he is the right man for the job.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
