Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel to Step Down After Two National Titles and Investigation Findings

Michigan announced Monday that athletic director Warde Manuel will step down at the end of the calendar year. The university released the announcement with a summary of findings from an investigation conducted by the Jenner & Block law firm. President Domenico Grasso said the probe uncovered serious concerns requiring immediate action, including failures of accountability, weaknesses in reporting, and concerns about retaliation.

Grasso added that the university has significant work ahead to restore Michigan athletics to its standing as a model program. Manuel has served as athletic director since 2016. He said he is very proud of the successes and accomplishments of the athletic department over the past 11 years and will continue to assist the university in implementing the investigation recommendations.

The investigation examined the actions of former football coach Sherrone Moore and the broader culture of the Michigan athletic department. It 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.

The review found that Manuel failed to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by athletic department employees.

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 Paige Shiver. 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.

The university pledged to implement reforms including strengthening 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.