Michigan Football 2026: Rebuilding, Rebranding, How to Be What You are: an Elite Program.

[gehringer_2]

Syverud made an intro video that went up on the staff newsletter today. Didn't mention sports. 🤷‍♀️

[buddha]

9 hours ago, RedTeamGo! said:

They have to go to Bloomington twice??

pettiti really has it in for michigan...

[buddha]

4 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

Syverud made an intro video that went up on the staff newsletter today. Didn't mention sports. 🤷‍♀️

good.

its a UNIVERSITY not a sports franchise.

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, buddha said:

good.

its a UNIVERSITY not a sports franchise.

Sounds like a great guy. Hope he still has the energy. My first impressions from the two videos was that he looked a little drawn and tired. Maybe that's just his natural look, or the last week may have been a bit of whirlwind. Mark Bernstein remarked in his intro at the Regents meeting that Syverud was the Prof in his 1st class on his first day at Michigan Law.

[Deleterious]

Minter got the Ravens HC job.  

[buddha]

Schedule is going to be tough.  at oregon, ucla, at ohio state is going to be tough.  two hard road games and a classic trap game sandwiched in between.

[gehringer_2]

Chris Partridge (now with the Seahawks) has filed a wrongful termination suit against UM and Manuel.

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2026/03/ex-michigan-coach-sues-school-ad-warde-manuel-over-scapegoat-termination.html

[romad1]

On 3/12/2026 at 12:27 AM, gehringer_2 said:

Chris Partridge (now with the Seahawks) has filed a wrongful termination suit against UM and Manuel.

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2026/03/ex-michigan-coach-sues-school-ad-warde-manuel-over-scapegoat-termination.html

He got juked for sure.  

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, romad1 said:

He got juked for sure.  

This one is pretty dumb. I don't pretend to know if what Partridge claims is true, but if it is, the U is going to look pretty stupid if they fight it. Just write him a check and make the public apology/exoneration (which is probably what he really wants anyway)

[romad1]

14 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

This one is pretty dumb. I don't pretend to know if what Partridge claims is true, but if it is, the U is going to look pretty stupid if they fight it. Just write him a check and make the public apology/exoneration (which is probably what he really wants anyway)

I'd support that and screw what the haters at OSU say. 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

This one is pretty dumb. I don't pretend to know if what Partridge claims is true, but if it is, the U is going to look pretty stupid if they fight it. Just write him a check and make the public apology/exoneration (which is probably what he really wants anyway)

the insurance company will settle it.

[gehringer_2]

39 minutes ago, buddha said:

the insurance company will settle it.

I have to think Partridge wants a public exoneration. Would they admit nothing even if it's going to cost them more? Or maybe it reads better to ask, "How much more are they willing to settle for to not have to admit anything?"

Edited Friday at 09:01 PM by gehringer_2

[buddha]

4 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I have to think Partridge wants a public exoneration. Would they admit nothing even if it's going to cost them more? Or maybe it reads better to ask, "How much more are they willing to settle for to not have to admit anything?"

nope.  he'll take the money.  they all take the money.

[buddha]

what all that really shows - if you take partridge at his word....and you shouldnt, its a lawsuit for money - is that manuel is a poor leader and pettiti is a bad actor.  not that he's a poor thespian, but that he pressed michigan to drop its case in exchange for support rather than supporting his conference's flagship football program.

his actions are really egregious.  and warde just comes out of this looking like a bitch.  if you wanted to compromise and push the controversy into the background, dont file a lawsuit.  if you file a lawsuit , you have to have the conviction to stand behind your position and support your program and your employees.

warde did neither.  he authorized the suit and then caved when pettiti threatened him.  instead of calling his bluff, he turtled.

given what happened with sherrone, it still amazes me that warde still has a job.  actually, given michigan's incompetence as an institution, it doesnt amaze me at all.  it makes perfect sense.  they'll wait for jenner & block to tell them he has to be fired rather than exert some leadership and vision and do it on their own.  its easier this way.  just like hiring sherrone was easier than doing an actual search.

its become the michigan way.

[buddha]

and when pettiti's contract is up, i can almost guarantee you that michigan will support him.  theyve become a feckless institution that stands for nothing.  blahblahblah PE deal blahblahblah.  they'll cave on that too.

[gehringer_2]

9 hours ago, buddha said:

warde did neither.  he authorized the suit and then caved when pettiti threatened him.  instead of calling his bluff, he turtled.

the only caveat here is we don't have any way to know what Warde chose to do vs what he was told to do. I've already lost track of the timelines of what was going on in sports vs what was going on in Admin, but Ono turned out to be such a putz it would be easy to believe some of this lands at his doorstep as well.

[gehringer_2]

11 hours ago, buddha said:

and when pettiti's contract is up, i can almost guarantee you that michigan will support him.  theyve become a feckless institution that stands for nothing.  blahblahblah PE deal blahblahblah.  they'll cave on that too.

I've really been disappointed in this group of regents. To me, both the Ono hiring and now the Syverud pick represent a lack of courage, vision, or just an unwillingness to put in the time to actually find a younger more dynamic, principled leader. Syverud looks like a nice guy but from what I've seen of him he looks like he's not aging well, like he's already exhausted with life. If we get anything more than caretaking from him I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ironic that a group supposedly politically 'liberal' is so conservative/cowardly/risk averse in their hiring - leadership in general. I'm afraid it's getting to be that high profile people in the state are seeking the job more for the cachet (and as a party funding payoff) than because they care about the 'U', in contrast to some of the old-timers we had for whom it was a vocation - folks that lived, breathed and bled blue.

It's a challenge as a voter because most anyone running on the GOP side recently is just a bomb thrower so we are stuck with who the Dems put up.

Edited Saturday at 02:51 PM by gehringer_2

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Come to the Michigan Democratic Party's convention in April and vote for Amir Makled at the convention. He's running to make a real change at the university and not just be another feckless Regent. He's running to take on Jordan Acker.

https://amirmakled.com/

Edited Sunday at 04:27 AM by Mr.TaterSalad

[buddha]

37 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Come to the Michigan Democratic Party's convention in April and vote for Amir Makled at the convention. He's running to make a real change at the university and not just be another feckless Regent. He's running to take on Jordan Acker.

https://amirmakled.com/

ummmm.... nope.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

8 minutes ago, buddha said:

ummmm.... nope.

Ok don't. Vote for the same people for Regent then and get the same results. The university needs new leadership and needs to be cleaned up as an institution. If you want Jordan Acker and the same Board of Regents that got the university into this mess then keep voting for them. 

Amir is a civil rights attorney, running on specific reforms he's looking to make within the university. Jordan Acker is running on the status quo and has proposed little that I can see to change university culture. 

Edited Sunday at 05:13 AM by Mr.TaterSalad

[buddha]

46 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Ok don't. Vote for the same people for Regent then and get the same results. The university needs new leadership and needs to be cleaned up as an institution. If you want Jordan Acker and the same Board of Regents that got the university into this mess then keep voting for them. 

Amir is a civil rights attorney, running on specific reforms he's looking to make within the university. Jordan Acker is running on the status quo and has proposed little that I can see to change university culture. 

i live in illinois.  😉

also, you and i disagree about everything political except that donald trump sucks.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

All I'm saying is that I agree with point that the UofM Board of Regents has largely been feckless. Paul Brown has been the best of the bunch IMO. Almost none of them, on either side of the aisle, have adequately shepherded the university through it's sports scandals or leadership searches. Re-electing the same people, Democrat or Republican as a Regent, isn't going to work. The University needs a leadership change top to bottom to clean itself up institutionally. A new regent like Amir is presenting the best change out there to make significant changes from the status quo.

[gehringer_2]

4 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

All I'm saying is that I agree with point that the UofM Board of Regents has largely been feckless. Paul Brown has been the best of the bunch IMO. Almost none of them, on either side of the aisle, have adequately shepherded the university through it's sports scandals or leadership searches. Re-electing the same people, Democrat or Republican as a Regent, isn't going to work. The University needs a leadership change top to bottom to clean itself up institutionally. A new regent like Amir is presenting the best change out there to make significant changes from the status quo.

 

There are several things I look for in Regents elections. A few would be:

1-Does the person have a history with the University. I think you should have a relationship/history inside experience with the institution and it's traditions if you want a role in leading it.

2-Is the person there because their political agenda is primarily one that is beyond the University. IOW is their primarly focus on how external political issues are playing in A^2. Those are valid concerns, but should not a regent's primary focus - which needs to be service to the University, not trying to use the University to further or reflect their personal external political agenda.

2-Is the person fundamentally a bomb thrower. A University runs on collegiality. If person is too strident to work with the rest of the board and admin - esp across political reflexes, they will not be of service in the end.

3-at at this point - no more liability lawyers - have enough of that world view with Acker and Bernstein, let's broaden the overall experience/perspective going forward.

 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

 

There are several things I look for in Regents elections. A few would be:

1-Does the person have a history with the University. I think you should have a relationship/history inside experience with the institution and it's traditions if you want a role in leading it.

2-Is the person there because their political agenda is primarily one that is beyond the University. IOW is their primarly focus on how external political issues are playing in A^2. Those are valid concerns, but should not a regent's primary focus - which needs to be service to the University, not trying to use the University to further or reflect their personal external political agenda.

2-Is the person fundamentally a bomb thrower. A University runs on collegiality. If person is too strident to work with the rest of the board and admin - esp across political reflexes, they will not be of service in the end.

3-at at this point - no more liability lawyers - have enough of that world view with Acker and Bernstein, let's broaden the overall experience/perspective going forward.

 

given your criteria, amir makled would not be on your list of favorites. 

i also would love to see less plaintiff lawyers on michigan's board.  having a bernstein law family person is bad enough.

and i'm not voting for someone whose agenda is primarily running against the university's decision to protect its jewish students from abuse.  

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

given your criteria, amir makled would not be on your list of favorites. 

 

Tater's post is the first I've seen his name so I can easily believe I would find that to be the case.

It's not like I follow all three independent school's regents issues, but what I'm afraid is happening at UM is what started happening long ago at MSU, which is the Board (I think they are called trustees at MSU) has become a tail on the dog of state capital politics. In UM's case more on the tail of state DEM politics. We really are losing the guys like Phil Power and Paul Brown who were only there because they honestly loved the institution.

Edited 3 hours ago by gehringer_2