Nobody’s kidding anybody.
Football coach Jim Harbaugh is the de facto Michigan athletic director. He’s the face, the voice and spirit of what Michigan athletics hopes to become. Harbaugh sets the tone and consumes every ounce of attention in Ann Arbor. He’s the boss.
Warde Manuel must understand that from day one, or else the new U-M athletic director’s relationship with his biggest asset could turn prickly quickly. But while it's important to give Harbaugh room to run the program the way he wants, there also must be a person within the hierarchy unafraid to occasionally tell him, “No.