Jim Hackett, the man who has served as Michigan's athletic director after Dave Brandon's departure, said Wednesday that he's donating half of his salary back to the university.
Hackett was appointed Michigan's interim athletic director after Brandon resigned on Oct. 31, 2014. He kept the interim tag and the school has officially started the search for his replacement after he said he did not want the permanent job.
The money, donated in December, went to a university fund called Athletes Connected. The program is for athletes who are battling depression. Hackett salary was $600,000.
"It's not immune to affecting athletes, and so the stigma of it is unfair," Hackett told the Detroit Free Press. "Our university here has figured out the genetics of it; we're leading the country.
"We're trying to get the word out that it's not because you're weak."
He said his wife Kathy recommended the program for the donation. And it's a very worthy one. Mental health issues for athletes don't receive nearly the attention physical issues do.
Hackett has been busy in his time as Michigan's AD. He hired coach Jim Harbaugh, negotiated an apparel deal with Nike and issued an open letter rebuking criticism of the team's punter after a last-second loss to Michigan State in 2015.
Hackett will stay as Michigan's athletic director until the school finds his replacement. He told the Free Press that the search was going "well."
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
