The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1479568
22 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2022 "I'm really happy with the decision the commissioners made and the presidents made on the board to put this into effect. Now the details have to be worked out, but to know it's going to be 12 at least by 2026, is great." T W: Should student-athletes share in some of the revenue from the TV deal, conference expansion and the playoff expansion? WM: "We're working on ways to make sure our student-athletes receive re- sources to support them and to put them in the right position. We pay our student- athletes through scholarship. That's been happening for a long time. "It happened to me. This idea that edu- cation is free and invaluable somehow lifted itself into society. It's like 'We don't give anything to these student-athletes! We don't provide them with anything!' That's wrong. "I heard it explained in this way. In ad- dition to the GI bill, the athletic schol- arships have provided immensely to the education of people in our society, men and women. I get a little perturbed that that has no value, when written about. "I'm old school, but I want to provide the resources that we can provide for our student-athletes. But I'm old school enough, because of how I was raised and the things that I value now and that I val- ued back then, to realize there is an un- believable value in the education that is provided to student-athletes across the country. "Now, if you want to pay more than we pay them through education, we can have that conversation. But this idea that they receive nothing and they're being used is not correct. It's wrong. "I never felt used as a student-athlete. Never. So, it's hard for me to understand that perspective. It's hard for me to un- derstand that there was no value in the education I was receiving at the Univer- sity of Michigan. That some kind of way, I was being taken advantage of. "We will continue to look, as we have, to provide resources, cost of attendance, additional dollars. But they are not em- ployees. They are not employees. "That particular piece of it … I can't really explain the depth of my feeling re- garding that piece of it." T W: What difference will it make to have a genuine fan of college athletics, such as Santa Ono, taking over as president of the University? WM: "I's a plus. I've had great conver- sations with Santa. He is a tremendous supporter of our students on this campus. He's going to support the broad-based nature of what our students participate in and do at the University of Michigan. "He's also going to definitely be a big supporter of athletics, our student-ath- letes and coaches, and me. He enjoys it. He enjoys that level of watching the com- petition, being a part of it, connecting with students, including student-ath- letes. "That's the piece that sometimes presi- dents don't always enjoy. He enjoys it. In talking to ADs who have worked for him, he enjoys making that connection. From what they've told me, this is not just about student-athletes. He enjoys con- necting with people within the University, and with students in many, many aspects of what they do on campus. "Because we have a sports page, it gets covered by all the stuff he's done over the years. But it's been great to talk to him. I'm looking forward to him being here, and enjoying our student-athletes, partici- pating in cheering them on. "We text back and forth. I was texting during the Hawai'i game. I took a picture of the sea of maize, and the field at night. He's looking forward to being here and experiencing all that a Michigan football game on a Saturday has to offer and seeing what that's all about." T W: You made a coaching change in hockey. How tough was that, and what are you seeking moving forward? WM: "They're always difficult decisions, personnel decisions. But I'm very pleased with [interim head coach] Brandon [Nau- rato] and his plan and his thoughts when we sat down to talk about his vision. "I want him to lead. I want him to be the head coach. I want him to do the things that are necessary to help this team per- form at a high level. "I met with the seniors, I met with the team, and that's their expectation. All the changes, all the turmoil … and we just talked about the transfer portal. Every student-athlete stayed. Every student- athlete that was coming in as a freshman — with the exception of one that hap- pened before all the changes were made — decided to still come. "That's a testament to their feel- ings about Brandon and the staff and Michigan, playing together and playing high-quality hockey and winning cham- pionships. That's the goal. Brandon has already started on that, and he's doing a great job." TW: Half of the men's basketball roster turned over again in the offseason. Can you assess the nimbleness with which Juwan Howard has to adjust from year to year in that sport, as well as the success women's coach Kim Barnes Arico is enjoying? WM: "Juwan has been amazing to watch, as he does this and figures every- thing out. When we recruit high-quality student-athletes in that sport, it's kind of like hockey. You get people departing for the professional opportunities they have in getting drafted. "You have graduation, you have a couple of kids transfer, and that's where he's looking at how he's going to put ev- erything together. I give [junior center] Hunter [Dickinson] kudos for making the decision he made on his own to come back and to want to learn under Juwan, and to be here. "You have a very solid leader who re- mains in that position. Juwan has been very nimble, and impressive in his ability to recruit, his ability to bring in transfers, and he's had the great success in grad transfers and their development. "I'm looking forward to watching the team. I know he's excited about it. I went out to one of the practices. He was very happy about where they were at that point, and then they played overseas. He told me they had some good games and Manuel on the NCAA transfer portal "I like the portal. But I think people lean on it too early, instead of giving it a chance. I know of examples where, if they'd stayed, they would have been great here, too."