Warde Manuel was named the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics (A.D.) at the University of Michigan in January 2016.

Manuel, a U-M alumnus who played football under Bo Schembechler, had been the director of athletics at the University of Connecticut. His five-year appointment began on March 14.

“Athletics plays a key role in the U-M community and beyond. It is a front door to the many activities and values of our community,” Schlissel said. “Warde Manuel knows how to succeed in the classroom, compete on the field and positively contribute to the social fabric of a vibrant university.”

“It is great to be home.”

– Warde Manuel, director of athletics

The announcement makes Manuel Michigan’s 12th athletic director in 150 years of intercollegiate athletics at the university. U-M has 31 teams and more than 900 student athletes.

“I chose to accept this offer for the same reason I committed to Bo 30 years ago this week. … There is no finer place than this Michigan of ours,” Manuel told the media, coaches, regents, faculty members and other U-M leaders that packed the Michigan Union’s Kuenzel Room.

“It is great to be home.”

Under his administration, and working with U-M’s coaching staff, Manuel said, “We are going to focus on having our student athletes compete in the classroom, compete on the field of play with a goal of winning championships, grow as great young people who will graduate from Michigan to make an impact in the world—do all of that within the rules, and have fun in the process.”

The A.D. reports directly to the president and serves as a member of the university’s executive leadership team. The self-supporting department has an annual budget of $151 million and a staff of 350.

A Michigan-Nike partnership was announced in July 2015. It began Aug. 1, 2016 and will run until 2027 with a university option to extend the relationship to 2031. Nike is supplying all 31 Wolverine teams with uniforms, footwear, apparel and equipment, while the partners also will collaborate on innovation initiatives in sports technology, design and best practices. The agreement is valued at $173.8 million.

“[Nike’s] brand strength is undeniable,” said Interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett. “The achievement they’ve attained in brand identity is legendary. That came through loud and clear.”

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will use the Jordan Brand “Jumpman” apparel that sprang from NBA superstar Michael Jordan. The U-M football team became the very first football team in the country to have an exclusive Jordan Brand partnership.

U-M’s current athletic director, Warde Manuel, explained, “The Jordan Brand represents the best in the business—the leader in innovation, enabling our student-athletes to perform at the highest level. The Jordan Brand continues the legacy of Michael Jordan, and Michael builds his legacy on the same qualities that we have here at the University of Michigan. The legacy transcends sports, and we are excited to be the first football team in the country to wear Jumpman.”

A group of 40 competitors and coaches with University of Michigan connections punched their tickets to the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Twelve of them, including athletes and coaches, hailed from the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving programs. In addition, Michael Phelps—the most-decorated Olympian of all time who trained, coached and attended classes at U-M for four years beginning in 2004—was once again part of the team.

U-M men’s head swimming coach Mike Bottom was appointed to Team USA’s coaching staff for the games. He assisted head coach Bob Bowman, who worked as U-M’s head coach from 2004 to 2008.

In addition to swimming, U-M had athletes competing in Men’s Gymnastics, Women’s Rowing, Sailing and Men’s and Women’s Track and Field. For more than a century, U-M students, student-athletes and coaches have represented their countries on the world’s biggest stage, collecting 157 Olympic medals.

U-M student Zach Burns, a sophomore on the men's club rowing team, won a silver medal (3:19.61) as part of the U.S. Legs, Trunks and Arms Mixed Coxed Four yesterday at the 2016 Paralympics.

Jeff Porter used a lean at the tape to claim third place at the U.S. trials and a second Olympic trip in the 110m hurdles. Porter (U-M 2005-2007) won the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles title in 2007.

Former University of Michigan women's soccer player Shelina Zadorsky (4) (2010-13) helped the Canadian Women's National Team secure bronze with a 2-1 win over host country Brazil in the Olympic bronze-medal match at Corinthians Arena.

For the 5th consecutive Olympiad U-M was represented in the men's 1500m race. New Zealand's Nick Willis (U-M 2002-2004) in black has been in four of them. Nate Brannen (U-M 2002-2005) representing Canada (8) ran in his third Olympic 1500m.

Sam Mikulak (U-M 2011-2014) took first place in the all-around at the U.S. trials to earn his second Olympic bid. He was three-time Big Ten Gymnast of the year, won 6 NCAA individual titles and led U-M to NCAA team titles in 2013 and 2014.

For the second year, the University of Michigan football team hosted the Youth Impact Program (YIP), a combination of academics, tough love and football for 100 at-risk boys bussed in daily from Detroit over two weeks during the summer at Michigan Stadium.

YIP founder and chairman Riki Ellison, a former NFL player, visited last year’s initial camp run by the Wolverines. Ellison’s innovative program partners with universities across the U.S. and their local NFL team. The Detroit Lions hosted a field trip for the Michigan campers at Ford Field.

The program aspires to “act as a catalyst to promote positive development in low-income, urban-based, at-risk middle school male athletes between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.” All campers are guests of the Wolverines.

“It’s hopefully a life-changing experience for these children and will make a difference in our community,” said Zach Eisendrath, the director of operations and communications for Coach Jim Harbaugh who also served as camp director. “It’s also equally beneficial for our staff and student-athletes to go through this.”

The entire rising sophomore class and four juniors led five different teams of boys. Six U.S. Marines from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan contributed lessons and discipline, and four Detroit Public Schools teachers taught math, life skills, science and reading.

Guest speakers also addressed campers each day during lunch hour, and included former Wolverine football stars Braylon Edwards, Larry Foote, Harlan Huckleby, Jerome Jackson and LaMarr Woodley; senior tight end Jake Butt; former basketball stars Jimmy King and Jordan Morgan; and Jack Harbaugh, father of the head coach and a former college coach.

“Football is a reward at this camp,” said Eisendrath. “If you take care of your academics, and treat people the right way, football is your reward in the afternoon. At the end of the day, this camp is about building character.”

There’s nothing more powerful than connecting in a time of need and finding that there is someone else who understands your distress, desperation and feelings. Will Heininger, former defensive lineman for the University of Michigan football team, found that person in athletic trainer Lenny Navitskis, who noticed him in distress and suspected he needed help.

Kally Fayhee, former U-M swim team captain, found that person in a teammate and good friend. She was struggling with anxiety and an eating disorder, finally breaking down to someone she felt confident confiding in. Fayhee was given an ultimatum by her friend to seek help.

Both made it through the toughest of times with support from coaches, teammates, friends and family. And, perhaps most importantly, they got on the path to recovery by connecting with U-M athletic department counselor Barb Hansen.

Now, they are the helping hands, the people other Wolverine student-athletes can reach out to for answers, direction and hope.

Heininger is a driving force behind Athletes Connected, a program designed to remove the stigma attached to mental illnesses while raising awareness and providing solutions. After first sharing his story at the U-M Depression on College Campuses Conference, he left a job in finance in Chicago to become involved with the initiative.

Athletes Connected began when Michigan received a grant of $50,000 from the NCAA after presenting the proposed program in a presentation in 2014. The grant funded the program start-up that included a pair of videos in which he and Fayhee told their stories. The Michigan Athletic Department has decided to extend the program because of the special value it’s had for student-athletes.

“Those videos have prompted a ton of people to seek help,” Heininger said. “And we created drop-in support groups for the student-athletes. It’s not just for those who are suffering from depression, anxiety or an eating disorder. You can be, but it’s to connect with other athletes — that’s how we created the name of the program. It’s hard to be a student-athlete, and it helps to be connected.”

They also made presentations to all 31 varsity teams and the coaches separately. Heininger said the response has been so “overwhelming” that the athletic department decided to continue backing the program. Additional funding through grants also has been sought.

He said, “This program at Michigan is groundbreaking because it is collaborative between the Depression Center, athletic department and the School of Public Health. That’s what makes Michigan great — bringing together great minds and collaborating for a common purpose.”