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New Michigan President to be introduced tomorrow, a potentially big day for U-M athletics

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•07/12/22•

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Michigan football stadium
Expected new President Santa Ono is about athletics and academics both. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan is set to announce its new President tomorrow during a press conference on campus, and it should be a huge boost for U-M athletics.

RELATED: Prospective new Michigan President is very pro-athletics

As first reported here July 10, former Cincinnati president and current president and vice chancellor Santa J. Ono is the expected choice. We were told when the search began that the Board of Regents wanted someone with a background in both academics and athletics. Ono is a home run on both ends, a brilliant academic who also happens to be heavily invested in athletic success.

Cincinnati athletic director Mike Bohn told the Cincinnati Enquirer he was a “game-changer for us in athletics” upon Ono’s departure for British Columbia in 2016. 

“Dr. Ono has left an indelible imprint on the intensity and interest in being a Bearcat,” he said. 

Added then-basketball coach Mick Cronin, now at UCLA: 

“Professionally, Dr. Ono was a major supporter of athletics. He valued athletics’ contribution to the university, and his passion for UC was a great asset for all of us.”

Interim and former Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman had a reputation of being very pro-athletics when she was full-time Michigan president from 2002-14. Historically, however, U-M’s leaders have generally not been as enthusiastic. 

Ono has always had a huge interest in the relationship between academics and athletics, and he’s proven it. Cincinnati renovated and expanded Nippert Stadium (football) on his watch, and renovated Fifth Third Arena, the school’s other top on-campus sports venue (basketball). The latter cost $87 million, but Ono never wavered on its importance. The project was completed in 2018, after he left, but was set in motion on his watch.

He’s even been known to crowd surf at football games, or when his teams meet certain scoring marks.

In short, per folks close to it, he should be insistent that his university be out front of the changing landscape of college athletics.

Watch TheWolverine.com tomorrow for the announcement and more, including Regents quotes.

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