Jim Harbaugh claims to have “great relationship” with Warde Manuel

The first few months of the Michigan football offseason were quite messy. Early on, rumors began to surface that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel were not on speaking terms; in fact, a John U. Bacon report claimed that Manuel and Harbaugh had not directly spoken in eight months.

After a rocky month full of NFL rumors, Jim Harbaugh decided that he would stay in Ann Arbor, though did not mention Warde Manuel in his announcement — for what it’s worth, he did mention the school and president Santa Ono by name. During Harbaugh’s spring practice media day, he was asked about his relationship with Manuel — his answer? It’s great.

Harbaugh’s quote on Warde Manuel

“I feel like it’s great. It’s a great relationship,” Harbaugh said. “It’s one of those narratives that seemed to be out there but I have a great relationship with Warde Manuel. He’s been great for our athletic department and our university. Nothing but good. I trust Warde, he trusts me. I mean, as far as any kind of contract situation, we don’t talk about that. I just ask, ‘Hey, do you want me here at Michigan?’ after every season.”

Harbaugh continued, “every season, anywhere I’ve ever been that’s the conversation I want to have. ‘Do you still think I’m the best person to do this job?’ And then I want to know what the rest of the administration thinks. I want to know what the players want, to know what the other coaches think, I want to know what the fan base thinks. And so when that season’s over, I sit down to have that conversation with Warde and do the same with the players and assess where the fan base is. Have never been, in all the eight years I’ve been here, that’s the feedback I got. In the month of January was as good as it’s ever been for me. Players, coaches, from Warde, the administration, president and from the fan base — let’s go to 2023.”

Harbaugh-Manuel relationship should be

While this may just be an answer to make the school’s athletic department look better, it would be ideal if it is true. The relationship between Harbaugh and the AD will be essential by the time next offseason rolls around in order to keep Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.

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