Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is stepping down at the end of the calendar year, the school announced Monday.
News of Manuel’s departure comes as Michigan released findings from an outside investigation into the actions of former football coach Sherrone Moore and the broader culture of the athletic department.
President Domenico Grasso praised Manuel’s contributions to Michigan’s success in athletics but said the probe, conducted by the Jenner & Block law firm, revealed “serious concerns that require immediate action,” including failures of accountability, weaknesses in reporting and concerns about retaliation.
“This is unacceptable,” Grasso said in a video statement. “We have significant work ahead to restore Michigan athletics to its standing as a model program, not only on the field, but also off the field.”
“I am very proud of all the successes and accomplishments of our athletic department over the past 11 years. We have tremendous coaches and professionals who support our outstanding student athletes every day,” said Manuel in a statement later Monday morning.
The Jenner & Block investigation did not determine that any current athletic department employee had “direct, contemporaneous evidence” of Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant prior to Moore’s firing in December 2025, according to a summary released by the university. However, the review found that Manuel failed to “quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by athletic department employees.”
Following reports that his future at Michigan was in doubt, Manuel spoke to Yahoo Sports last week and said there were “no plans for me not to continue to be the athletic director for the near future.” Manuel earns roughly $2.4 million annually in salary and deferred compensation on a contract that runs through 2030, with a buyout equivalent to three years of compensation.
Manuel, a former Michigan football player, was hired as athletic director in 2016 and oversaw this year’s national championship in men’s basketball, Michigan’s 2023 national championship in football, national championships for men’s and women’s gymnastics and five Frozen Four appearances for the ice hockey team. However, Michigan’s successes often came amidst scandals, investigations, rules violations and the arrests of multiple staff members.
Speculation about Manuel’s future intensified as Moore’s tenure unraveled in December. Manuel promoted Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh in 2024 and fired him less than two years later after Moore’s former executive assistant, Paige Shiver, revealed that she and Moore had engaged in a lengthy romantic relationship. Moore was arrested after confronting Shiver at her apartment and pleaded no contest to a pair of misdemeanors. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Michigan directed Jenner & Block, which was investigating Moore’s relationship with Shiver, to conduct a broader investigation into Michigan’s handling of the situation. To date, Michigan has spent nearly $12 million on the probe.
“Nobody wants to be judged by the misdeeds of others,” Manuel said in April. “For me, I wake up every day working for the great people and the great student athletes we have here to represent this university in a first-class manner. When people step out of line and they do something that’s not (right), I deal with it and we keep moving forward.”
The investigation uncovered a note from Manuel, written two days before Moore’s head coaching debut in 2024, documenting a conversation in which he instructed Moore not to travel with Shiver, according to the Wall Street Journal. Two program sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Michigan had not released the Jenner & Block findings, said Michigan’s human resources department received a complaint during Moore’s first preseason camp after players and staff observed Moore and Shiver working out together in the Michigan weight room.
Michigan released a summary of the Jenner & Block findings but has denied Freedom of Information requests for the full report, citing attorney-client privilege. The university said it would implement several reforms, including strengthening its compliance and human resources processes, revising procedures for investigating and escalating allegations of misconduct and “implementing mandatory coach training on student-athlete mental health, nutrition and eating disorders.”
Moore’s firing was one of several scandals that rocked Michigan in recent years. The NCAA hit Michigan with a fine that could surpass $30 million as punishment for a sign-stealing scandal that erupted during the football team’s’ 2023 run to the national championship. Moore and Harbaugh served suspensions tied to that investigation and an earlier investigation into recruiting violations.
Matt Weiss, Michigan’s former offensive coordinator, is awaiting trial on federal charges that he hacked private images belonging to thousands of female athletes. Another former assistant, Chris Partridge, is suing Manuel, Michigan, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti over his 2023 firing, alleging that Manuel and Petitti conspired to make him a scapegoat for the sign-stealing scandal.
Manuel withstood those scandals and led Michigan to financial and competitive success during his decade as the Wolverines’ athletic director. He served as chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2024 and won the John L. Toner Award, which is “designed to honor and acknowledge outstanding athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities, especially in the area of college football.”
