Michigan ending AD Warde Manuel's embattled tenure

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the calendar year, the university confirmed on Monday.

The announcement follows two major misconduct investigations into the Wolverines' football program: former head coach Sherrone Moore's firing in December 2025 over an impermissible relationship with a female staffer, and a sign-stealing scandal under Moore's predecessor, Jim Harbaugh.

"At this time, the university does not have additional public statements planned regarding these matters, nor does the university plan to release any associated documents," a Michigan spokesperson told The Detroit News. "We can confirm, however, that Director of Athletics Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the calendar year and a search for a new AD will be conducted."

University president Domenico Grasso on Monday shared information related to the conclusion of a "culture review" of the athletic department conducted by the independent law firm Jenner & Block LLP, which involved nearly 350 interviews of 300 witnesses and the review of more than 20,000 documents.

"The culture review found that weaknesses in accountability, organizational structure, oversight, and reporting created conditions in which misconduct was not always addressed consistently, promptly, or in accordance with University expectations," read a school statement.

"The culture review found that Warde Manuel demonstrated important leadership strengths, particularly his commitment to student-athletes. At the same time, it identified failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by Athletic Department employees."

The highly publicized transgressions overshadowed the achievements of the athletic department under Manuel, who has held the post since 2016. Michigan won national championships in football (2023), men's basketball (2025-26) and women's (2021) and men's gymnastics (2025).

Manuel, 58, received a five-year extension as athletics director in December 2024 with a base salary of $1.9 million. That contract was scheduled to expire in 2030.

Michigan fired Moore for cause on Dec. 10 for engaging in a longstanding relationship with his then-executive assistant, Paige Shiver. On the day he was fired, he allegedly went to her apartment. Shiver told authorities he barged in, grabbed two butter knives and backed her into a corner.

Moore was arrested and spent two nights in jail. The original charges of home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering included penalties of up to five years in prison.

He was sentenced to 18 months of probation with no jail time in April. Moore also was fined more than $1,000 and ordered not to have contact with Shiver, or to use drugs or alcohol during his probation.

The sentencing followed a plea deal in which Moore agreed to plead no contest to new misdemeanor charges of malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespassing. In exchange, prosecutors in Washtenaw County (Mich.) dismissed the previous charges, which included third-degree felony home invasion.

Moore had a 16-8 record at Michigan after taking over for Harbaugh, for whom he served as offensive coordinator. Both were embroiled in a sign-stealing controversy involving then-staff member Connor Stalions from the school's 2023 national championship season, with Moore ultimately serving a two-game suspension.

In another scandal, Matt Weiss was the Wolverines' co-offensive coordinator in 2022 and had just completed his second season on Michigan's staff when he was fired Jan. 20, 2023. Weiss has pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to computers. His trial is scheduled for September.

Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, while men's basketball coach Dusty May exited after the title run to coach the NBA's Dallas Mavericks in June.

--Field Level Media