Michigan student-athlete committee backs Dave Brandon

Michigan's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced its support Tuesday for athletic director Dave Brandon amid criticism of the school's handling of injured quarterback Shane Morris.

Brandon said the Michigan coaching staff and medical team had a "serious lack of communication" when Morris was permitted to re-enter the game after suffering a concussion in last Saturday's loss to Minnesota.

Michigan president Mark Schlissel said Tuesday he was extremely disappointed with how the team handled the injury.

With students gathering on campus later in the day to demand Brandon's firing, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee issued a statement saying it had not wavered in its support of the athletic director.

"As student-athletes, we are confident that each member of the Athletic Department acts with our best interests in mind," the committee wrote. "We applaud Dave Brandon for upholding the tradition and values of Michigan to the highest standard, encouraging us to be leaders and best in all aspects of life. As such, we fully support our Athletic Director and trust his ability to make decisions for our success and wellbeing."