Brady Hoke and Michigan have come under increasing fire since Saturday.
Brady Hoke and Michigan have come under increasing fire since Saturday. (USATSI)

University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel has become the latest Wolverines official to apologize for the football program's handling of quarterback Shane Morris after he suffered what athletic director Dave Brandon termed a "probable, mild concussion" against Minnesota on Saturday.

"Despite having one of the finest levels of team medical expertise in the country, our system failed on Saturday," Schlissel said in a statement. "We did not get this right and for this I apologize to Shane, his family, his teammates and the entire Michigan family. It is a critical lesson to us about how vigilant and disciplined we must always be to ensure student-athlete safety."

Brandon and coach Brady Hoke have faced heavy criticism since Saturday, when Morris remained at quarterback -- and even re-entered the game after leaving it -- following a late, heavy blow to the chin from a Minnesota defender that left him wobbly on his feet.

Hoke defended his coaching staff's actions during his Monday press conference, saying he believed Morris had been medically cleared and not been diagnosed with a concussion, only for Brandon to issue a statement late, late Monday acknowledging Morris's diagnosis and apologizing for the "inadequate communication" that led to the sophomore remaining on the field of play.

Schlissel's full statement on the incident:

As the leader of our university community, I want to express my extreme disappointment in the events surrounding the handling of an on-field injury to one of our football players, Shane Morris. The health and safety of our entire student community, including all of our student-athletes, is my most important responsibility as university president.

I have been in regular discussion regarding this incident and its aftermath with Athletic Director David Brandon and the Board of Regents. I support the immediate protocol changes that the department's initial assessment has identified. I have instructed the Athletic Department to provide me, the Board of Regents, and other campus leaders with a thorough review of our in-game player safety procedures, particularly those involving head injuries, and will involve experts from the University of Michigan Health System in assessing its medical aspects.

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. It is a critical lesson to us about how vigilant and disciplined we must always be to ensure student-athlete safety. As president, I will take all necessary steps to make sure that occurs and to enforce the necessary accountability for our success in this regard.

Our communications going forward will be direct, transparent and timely. The University of Michigan stands for the highest level of excellence in everything we do, on and off the field. That standard will guide my review of this situation and all the University's future actions.

My thanks go to the many members of the University community who have taken the time to express their thoughts.

A Michigan student petition begun late Monday has called on Schlissel to fire Brandon in the wake of the scandal.

Students and Ann Arbour locals are also rallying for Brandon to be fired on The Diag in the middle of Michigan's Central Campus.