Weiser Charitable Foundation Endows Coaching Positions with $6 Million Gift
10/16/2025 4:24:00 PM | General, Men's Cross Country, Men's Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field, Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan Athletics announced on Thursday (Oct. 16) a $6 million grant from the Weiser Charitable Foundation and long-time University of Michigan philanthropist and Regent Emeritus Ron Weiser. The grant establishes two endowed funds: the Marc A. Weiser Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Fund to support the director of the track and field and cross country teams; and the Ronald N. Weiser Wrestling Coach Fund to support the wrestling team's head coach.
"Ron Weiser has a tremendous philanthropic history with our University and specifically Michigan Athletics," said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "His passion and generosity across a wide range of units is unparalleled. His support and dedication over the years have been so meaningful and impactful to our community."
Endowments such as these serve as a vital financial foundation, allowing Michigan Athletics to enhance its capacity by funding additional necessary resources and initiatives.
"Athletics not only provides entertainment to Michigan's millions of fans and alumni, it provides amazing experiences and a foundation for success for our world-class athletes in their careers and future lives," Ron Weiser said. "Both my son, Marc, and I were the beneficiaries of these opportunities when we participated in wrestling and track. Marc in the 1990s as a javelin thrower, and me in the 1960s as a mediocre wrestler. These new gifts are a way we can give back to the sports that helped us so much as a foundation for our careers and lives."
Sean Bormet now holds the title of Ron Weiser Head Wrestling Coach, and Kevin Sullivan is now the Marc Weiser Director of Track and Field and Cross Country. The namings will be perpetual for the life of each named position, or any similar or successor positions, and will always be the most senior position in the programs.
"Ron Weiser's generosity has helped elevate Michigan wrestling to the highest levels of achievement -- from Big Ten and NCAA champions to a Hodge Trophy winner and World and Olympic medalists," said Bormet. "His extraordinary commitment impacts the lives of our student-athletes and coaches every single day, and we are forever grateful for the lasting legacy he is building with Michigan wrestling."Â
"I would like to sincerely thank the Weiser Charitable Foundation for their naming of the Director of Track and Field/Cross Country position," said Sullivan, who is in his fifth year leading the track and field and cross country programs. "It is an unbelievably generous commitment to the long-term future of the track and field and cross country program here at the University of Michigan. We are excited to continue to uphold the rich history at the University of Michigan, and the Weiser Charitable Foundation's contributions to our program will allow us to continue to operate in a high-performance manner and continue to provide amazing opportunities and resources to our student-athletes."
A 1966 graduate of the Ross School of Business, Weiser's generosity spans nearly 50 years, supporting all three University of Michigan campuses. Just last year, the Weiser Charitable Foundation committed $25 million to create the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer within the Rogel Cancer Center. He and his foundation also support: the Michigan Medical School; U-M Museum of Art; College of Literature, Science and the Arts; Ross School of Business; Ford School of Public Policy; Marsal Family School of Education; the Bentley Historical Library; Rackham Graduate School; University Musical Society, and more.
