Big Changes at University of Michigan: Athletic Director Warde Manuel Steps Down

Updated July 20, 2026, 9:30 a.m. ET

What Just Happened?

Imagine the boss of all sports teams at a big school deciding to leave. That’s what happened at the University of Michigan.

• Warde Manuel will step down as the school’s athletic director at the end of the year.
• Officials announced this on Monday, July 20.
• The school will now look for someone new to take his place.

Why Is He Leaving?

Think of it like a snowball: small problems grew into bigger ones until it was time for a change.

• There have been many lawsuits (legal complaints) and investigations (official checks into wrongdoing).
• One big investigation was done by a company called Jenner & Block, and it cost over $12 million.
• That company was hired right after former football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for cause. “Fired for cause” means he was let go because of a specific reason—here, an alleged inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant, Paige Shiver.
• The investigation later expanded to look at the whole athletic department’s culture (how things are done there).
• On Monday, Michigan also shared some findings from that report, even though they originally said they would not make it public.

What Did the Report Say About Manuel?

The report gave a mixed review—like a report card with good and not-so-good marks.

• Good: Manuel showed strong leadership, especially by caring about student-athletes (the kids who play sports).
• Not-so-good: He failed to quickly and effectively act when employees in the athletic department were accused of doing wrong things.

Important: Michigan’s public affairs website said the review found Manuel had “important leadership strengths” but also “failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing.”

The Tipping Point

Moore’s firing was like the final straw.

• The athletic department had lots of bad press and scandals while Manuel was in charge.
• Shiver sued the university, saying they hid public records.
• Former linebackers coach Chris Partridge sued the board of regents, Manuel, ex-president Santa Ono, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.
• That lawsuit says the ex-president worked to hide details of a football “sign-stealing” scandal (secretly learning opponents’ signals), and that leaders knew about Moore’s affair with a staff member years before he was fired.

Manuel’s Contract Details

Let’s break down his job agreement like a简单的 allowance plan.

• In December 2024, Manuel signed a five-year extension.
• His base salary was $1.9 million per year, plus $350,000 per year in deferred payments (money paid later).
• His original contract started Jan. 29, 2016, was extended in February 2021 to June 30, 2026.
• The new deal was supposed to last until June 30, 2030.

Who Is Warde Manuel?

• He is 58 years old.
• He played defensive lineman (a football position) at Michigan in the 1980s under coach Bo Schembechler.
• He was the 12th athletic director in school history.

When he was extended in 2024, then-president Santa Ono praised him for building a system where athletes win championships, do well in class, and graduate.

Wins and Troubles Under Manuel

Manuel had the job for 11 years. It was like a movie with both trophies and trouble.

Championships (the good)

• Football: 2024
• Women’s gymnastics: 2021
• Men’s gymnastics: 2025
• Basketball: 2026

Scandals (the bad)

His tenure was filled with scandals, suspensions, and arrests.

NCAA Investigations Explained

The NCAA is like the rule-keeper for college sports. Michigan got in trouble with them twice under coach Jim Harbaugh.

First Investigation

1. U-M suspended Harbaugh for three games at the start of the 2023 season for breaking recruiting rules during the 2020 COVID-19 dead period (a time when in-person recruiting was not allowed).
2. The school had impermissible in-person recruiting and too many coaches helping.
3. Result: U-M was put on probation for three seasons.
4. Harbaugh got a 4-year “show-cause” (a penalty making it hard to get hired), and staffers Steve Clinkscale (2 years) and Jesse Minter (1 year) also got show-causes.

Sign-Stealing Saga

1. In August 2025, the NCAA ruled on a 2023 sign-stealing scheme.
2. Former staffer Connor Stalions allegedly organized stealing opponents’ signs by sending people to watch games in person (not allowed).
3. Michigan was put on probation for four years (through April 10, 2031).
4. They faced 11 violations, including six Level I (most serious) offenses.
5. Penalties:
   • Four years probation
   • Fines over $30 million (Manuel confirmed this)
   • 14-week ban on football recruiting communications
   • 25% cut in football official visits in 2025
6. Four staffers got show-causes: Harbaugh (10 years), Stalions (8 years), Denard Robinson (3 years), Moore (2 years).
7. The NCAA said some staff destroyed or hid evidence—like Stalions telling an intern to “clear out” emails, photos, and texts. The NCAA called his lack of cooperation “some of the worst the COI has ever seen.”

Manuel said in November: “We shouldn’t have been anywhere near this… I believe that we should follow the rules that are on the books of the NCAA.”

Other Coach Troubles

Since 2020, Michigan won over 50 Big Ten championships—more than twice any other school. But three of four main programs had issues.

• Manuel fired three big coaches he hired:
  • Sherrone Moore (football) – scandal
  • Juwan Howard (basketball) – had postgame fights, like slapping a Wisconsin assistant in 2022, got a 5-game suspension, then had worst season ever
  • Mel Pearson (hockey) – scandal
• Manuel was also criticized for not signing Harbaugh and basketball coach Dusty May to extensions after their title wins; both left for NFL and NBA.

Important: This was a breaking news story and may be updated with more info later.

Summary

Warde Manuel, Michigan’s athletic director for 11 years, will leave at the end of 2026 after a wave of scandals, lawsuits, and NCAA punishments. While Michigan won many titles in his era, a costly investigation and multiple coach firings marked his final years. The school will now search for a new leader.

FAQ

Q: What does “athletic director” do?
A: Think of them as the boss of all sports teams at a school—they hire coaches, manage budgets, and set the tone for the department.

Q: What is a “show-cause” penalty?
A: It’s like a red flag for schools—if they try to hire that person, they must explain why to the NCAA, making it very hard to get a job.

Q: Why was the Jenner & Block report a big deal?
A: It cost over $12 million and looked into the whole athletic department’s culture after Coach Moore was fired for an inappropriate relationship.

Q: What is sign-stealing?
A: It’s when one team secretly learns the hand signals another team uses to call plays—in this case, Michigan did it in a way the NCAA says was against the rules.

Q: Did Michigan win anything under Manuel?
A: Yes! They won national titles in football (2024), men’s and women’s gymnastics (2025 and 2021), and basketball (2026).