U-M students call for AD Dave Brandon's job at rally

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Source: Detroit Free Press

With the polish wearing thinner by the day on the University of Michigan's much heralded sports program, the university's new president issued a public apology Tuesday as the school struggled to contain a growing public relations disaster over its football program.

Mark Schlissel, who took over as president in July, said he was extremely disappointed in the handling of injured quarterback Shane Morris during Saturday's game with Minnesota, and he has been in regular discussions with Athletic Director David Brandon and the Board of Regents over the matter.

"Despite having one of the finest levels of team medical expertise in the country, our system failed on Saturday. We did not get this right, and for this I apologize to Shane, his family, his teammates, and the entire Michigan family."

Schlissel's statement — issued at 5:30 p.m. after days of silence from the president — avoided any reference to the growing calls for the firing of Brandon and head football coach Brady Hoke.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2014/09/30/michigan-wolverines-students-rally-fire-dave-brandon/16511897/

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More coverage of the protest: Ann Arbor News, AP, ESPN

On Tuesday, the Freep reported: Brady Hoke didn't know Shane Morris had concussion

Michigan coach Brady Hoke defended himself at his weekly news conference Monday against accusations that he was not considerate of Shane Morris' possible head trauma in the last game.

Hoke opened the media session at the Crisler Center by saying that Morris suffered a high ankle sprain in Saturday's 30-14 loss to Minnesota, but, "based on everything I know," not a concussion.

Then at 1 a.m. today, athletic director Dave Brandon issued a lengthy statement in which he acknowledged that Morris, a sophomore quarterback, did indeed suffer a "mild concussion" on a fourth-quarter hit by Minnesota's Theiren Cockran and that communication breakdowns on the sidelines allowed Morris to stay in for a play and later reenter for another play. Brandon, who did not attend Hoke's news conference, also said in his statement that even though Morris' diagnosis came Sunday, that information was not relayed to coach Brady Hoke until after his news conference early Monday afternoon.