Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel has signed a five-year contract extension that takes him through 2030. The extension was approved Thursday during the University of Michigan Board of Regents meeting that Manuel attended.

Manuel, 56, has been his alma mater’s athletic director since January 2016.

“I thought I couldn’t get more excited about what we did on Saturday,” Manuel said Thursday at the Regents meeting, referencing Michigan football’s 13-10 upset at Ohio State last Saturday, “but today is the day. You guys and President (Santa) Ono, I can’t thank you enough.”

This will be the second extension of Manuel’s contract. In February 2021, the original contract was extended through June 30, 2026. He is making $1.1 million annually and is eligible for up to $150,000 in incentives with the university contributing $350,000 annually to a retirement plan, according to the contract signed Feb. 5, 2021.

“Extremely happy and excited to continue to serve as the AD at the University of Michigan, a place I love,” Manuel told The Detroit News. “Thankful to President Ono and (Board chair) Regent (Kathy) White and the rest of the board for believing in me. Thankful for our student-athletes and coaches and staff and look forward to continuing help drive success athletically and academically.”

Manuel, a defensive lineman in the 1980s and a college teammate of former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, is in his first year as the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee. He has been part of the CFP selection committee since 2022.

During Big Ten media days last July, league commissioner Tony Petitti announced Manuel was the recipient of the 2024 NFF John L. Toner Award. The award recognizes athletics directors “who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics, particularly college football.”

“He is highly regarded in the Big Ten conference and across college athletics for the valuable leadership he has provided throughout his career,” Petitti said in July after announcing Manuel’s award.

Manuel and Michigan football have had to navigate two recent NCAA investigations, including one for an alleged sign-stealing scheme that has not yet reached a resolution. The football program has been under three-year probation from the NCAA since both sides negotiated a resolution last April for recruiting violations that were part of the first investigation.

Manuel also has had to make recent football and basketball hires. Harbaugh left for the NFL after leading Michigan to a national championship in 2023 in his ninth season, and Manuel was widely criticized for not re-signing him. Manuel’s relationship with Harbaugh had often been described as rocky, which Manuel disputed on the field in Houston after Michigan won the title last January.

“Because people don’t know, and I’m not out there trying to tell you my relationship with people.” Manuel said when asked why people think he and Harbaugh didn’t have the best relationship. “People may put stuff out there on social media that have no effing clue. None. I can’t speak for ignorance people spew on social media and I’m not going to and I never have until now, until you asked me.”

Manuel elevated former Michigan offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore to head coach to replace Harbaugh. Manuel said among his bigger challenges during his career was firing Juwan Howard as basketball coach, who has since been replaced by Dusty May.

Under Manuel’s guidance, Michigan sports have won seven national championships with 23 individual NCAA titles and 85 regular-season and conference titles.

“During Warde’s tenure as director, athletics has put a structure in place where our student-athletes compete for Big Ten and national championships, excel in the classroom, and proudly graduate with their University of Michigan degrees,” Ono said at the Regents meeting.