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ANN ARBOR — Jim Hackett's time leading the Michigan athletic department is officially coming to an end.
U-M president Mark Schlissel announced Wednesday morning the launch of a national search for the university's next athletic director, along with the formation of a search committee and hiring of an outside firm to assist.
The search will begin immediately.
Hackett, having served as interim AD since Dave Brandon's resignation as athletic director in October 2014, will not be a candidate for the full-time position.
"Jim does not wish to be considered for the permanent AD role," Schlissel said in the release. "I have asked him to serve on the search advisory committee because he knows well what is required for the position to be successful. Great university citizen that he is, Jim has agreed to stay on until a permanent successor is in place."
Hackett will serve on that seven-person search committee along with other members of the university community.
The committee is comprised of Liz Barry (special counsel to President Schlissel), Anne Curzan (university professor and faculty athletic representative), Corinne Harris (undergraduate student, co-captain of women's track), Kevin Hegarty (U-M executive vice president and chief financial officer), Dr. Stefan G. Humphries (alumnus, former U-M and professional football player and medical director at Renown Rehabilitation Hospital in Reno, Nevada) and Carol Hutchins (women's softball coach).
U-M has hired Turnkey Search, a subsidiary of Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, to assist with the search. The university's lead consultants will be Len Perna, a U-M alumnus and Turnkey founder and CEO; and Gene DeFilippo, a senior executive director at Turnkey and former athletic director at several schools including Boston College, Villanova and Kentucky.
Michigan will pay Turnkey a fee of $150,000 plus expenses.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the University of Michigan and President Schlissel," Hackett said in the release. "This past year has been incredibly rewarding both personally and professionally, we have accomplished many great things.
Over the last year, Hackett oversaw Michigan's hiring of new football coach Jim Harbaugh, extended the contracts of men's basketball coach John Beilein and women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico, and helped negotiates an apparel contract with Nike contract worth upwards of $169 million over 15 years.
"I loved serving my university and appreciate the support I have received from everyone connected with Michigan," Hackett said. "I am now pleased to assist President Schlissel in identifying U-M's next permanent athletic director and ensuring a smooth transition."
Whoever is hired will immediately inherit an annual budget of $151 million, an athletic department staff of 350, and 31 programs comprised of over 900 student-athletes.
Names that will gain the most public attention as the search begins will be Connecticut athletic director Warde Manuel, Boston College AD Brad Bates, Arkansas AD Jeff Long and Texas Tech deputy athletic director Joe Parker. All have significant Michigan ties.
Michigan's next athletic director will be only its 12th AD in 150 years of intercollegiate athletics at the university.
In U-M's last search for an athletic director, former U-M president Mary Sue Coleman assigned a search committee of five university employees, including men's basketball coach John Beilein, and hired the search firm Spencer Stuart, led by Jed Hughes, a former assistant coach to Bo Schembechler.
Prior to Wednesday morning's announcement, Beilein was asked in Raleigh, N.C., amid a report of the national search beginning, if he'd be willing to serve on a search committee for AD this time around while in-season. While Beilein did not disclose knowledge of Hackett's impending departure, he did say he would serve on a search committee.
"Absolutely. I would love to," he said, following U-M basketball's 66-59 win over N.C. State. "I think it's really important that when we do hire a new athletic director — when it comes, when Jim decides to step down — that coaches are involved, whether it's me or another coach, doesn't make a difference."
When named interim AD, Hackett, a 1977 Michigan graduate and former player under Schembechler, returned to U-M after two decades as chief executive of Grand Rapids-based Steelcase Inc., one of the world's largest office furniture makers based.
Expected to replace Brandon only in the sense of helping U-M find its next AD amid at turbulent 2014 football season, Hackett instead had an extended stay. He fired head football coach Brady Hoke in December 2014, hired Harbaugh, and remained in office for football's 2015 regular season. He held an "indefinite" appointment paying $600,000 annually ($50,000/monthly).
Hackett, 60, celebrated a one-year anniversary as interim AD on Oct. 31. Asked a month beforehand by MLive if there are there any possible ill effects of having a prolonged gray area in a leadership position, Hackett hinted that the end was approaching.
"Yes, the nature of interim has a shelf life, and you start to get near that when you have a one-year anniversary," Hackett said. "At one year, the shelf life of interim is hard to continue, so that's why the president and I are addressing that question right now."
ANN ARBOR — Jim Hackett's time leading the Michigan athletic department is officially coming to an end.
U-M president Mark Schlissel announced Wednesday morning the launch of a national search for the university's next athletic director, along with the formation of a search committee and hiring of an outside firm to assist.
The search will begin immediately.
Hackett, having served as interim AD since Dave Brandon's resignation as athletic director in October 2014, will not be a candidate for the full-time position.
"Jim does not wish to be considered for the permanent AD role," Schlissel said in the release. "I have asked him to serve on the search advisory committee because he knows well what is required for the position to be successful. Great university citizen that he is, Jim has agreed to stay on until a permanent successor is in place."
Hackett will serve on that seven-person search committee along with other members of the university community.
The committee is comprised of Liz Barry (special counsel to President Schlissel), Anne Curzan (university professor and faculty athletic representative), Corinne Harris (undergraduate student, co-captain of women's track), Kevin Hegarty (U-M executive vice president and chief financial officer), Dr. Stefan G. Humphries (alumnus, former U-M and professional football player and medical director at Renown Rehabilitation Hospital in Reno, Nevada) and Carol Hutchins (women's softball coach).
U-M has hired Turnkey Search, a subsidiary of Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, to assist with the search. The university's lead consultants will be Len Perna, a U-M alumnus and Turnkey founder and CEO; and Gene DeFilippo, a senior executive director at Turnkey and former athletic director at several schools including Boston College, Villanova and Kentucky.
Michigan will pay Turnkey a fee of $150,000 plus expenses.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the University of Michigan and President Schlissel," Hackett said in the release. "This past year has been incredibly rewarding both personally and professionally, we have accomplished many great things.
Over the last year, Hackett oversaw Michigan's hiring of new football coach Jim Harbaugh, extended the contracts of men's basketball coach John Beilein and women's basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico, and helped negotiates an apparel contract with Nike contract worth upwards of $169 million over 15 years.
"I loved serving my university and appreciate the support I have received from everyone connected with Michigan," Hackett said. "I am now pleased to assist President Schlissel in identifying U-M's next permanent athletic director and ensuring a smooth transition."
Whoever is hired will immediately inherit an annual budget of $151 million, an athletic department staff of 350, and 31 programs comprised of over 900 student-athletes.
Names that will gain the most public attention as the search begins will be Connecticut athletic director Warde Manuel, Boston College AD Brad Bates, Arkansas AD Jeff Long and Texas Tech deputy athletic director Joe Parker. All have significant Michigan ties.
Michigan's next athletic director will be only its 12th AD in 150 years of intercollegiate athletics at the university.
In U-M's last search for an athletic director, former U-M president Mary Sue Coleman assigned a search committee of five university employees, including men's basketball coach John Beilein, and hired the search firm Spencer Stuart, led by Jed Hughes, a former assistant coach to Bo Schembechler.
Prior to Wednesday morning's announcement, Beilein was asked in Raleigh, N.C., amid a report of the national search beginning, if he'd be willing to serve on a search committee for AD this time around while in-season. While Beilein did not disclose knowledge of Hackett's impending departure, he did say he would serve on a search committee.
"Absolutely. I would love to," he said, following U-M basketball's 66-59 win over N.C. State. "I think it's really important that when we do hire a new athletic director — when it comes, when Jim decides to step down — that coaches are involved, whether it's me or another coach, doesn't make a difference."
When named interim AD, Hackett, a 1977 Michigan graduate and former player under Schembechler, returned to U-M after two decades as chief executive of Grand Rapids-based Steelcase Inc., one of the world's largest office furniture makers based.
Expected to replace Brandon only in the sense of helping U-M find its next AD amid at turbulent 2014 football season, Hackett instead had an extended stay. He fired head football coach Brady Hoke in December 2014, hired Harbaugh, and remained in office for football's 2015 regular season. He held an "indefinite" appointment paying $600,000 annually ($50,000/monthly).
Hackett, 60, celebrated a one-year anniversary as interim AD on Oct. 31. Asked a month beforehand by MLive if there are there any possible ill effects of having a prolonged gray area in a leadership position, Hackett hinted that the end was approaching.
"Yes, the nature of interim has a shelf life, and you start to get near that when you have a one-year anniversary," Hackett said. "At one year, the shelf life of interim is hard to continue, so that's why the president and I are addressing that question right now."
