Why Michigan AD Warde Manuel will step down at end of year after 'internal investigation'
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Why Michigan AD Warde Manuel will step down at end of year after 'internal investigation' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A rollercoaster of a decade for Michigan athletics has taken another turn, as longtime athletic director Warde Manuel will soon be out after 10 years in Ann Arbor, the school announced Monday.
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Manuel oversaw breakthroughs for both Michigan football and men's basketball in recent years, with the Wolverines winning the College Football Playoff in January of 2024 and a national championship in basketball in April of this year, but the last three years have been plagued as much by scandal as they were by winning.
On Monday, Michigan released an outline from its "internal investigation" into its athletic department, which will result in Manuel stepping down at the end of the calendar year.
Here's what you need to know about Manuel's soon-to-be ouster in Ann Arbor.
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Why Warde Manuel will step down at end of 2026
Manuel will remain in his role for the time being, but will be stepping down from his position at Michigan at the end of the calendar year, per On3. He has been the school's athletic director since 2016.
Michigan has been conducting an "internal investigation" into the Sherrone Moore scandal and the culture within its athletic department. Recently, with that investigation ongoing, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger first reported that Manuel's future was in doubt.
Michigan hired an independent firm to investigate the athletic department's culture after Moore was fired over an affair with a female staffer, ESPN reported. After Moore's firing and subsequent arrest for his response to the news, multiple reports detailed problems with the culture of Michigan's athletic department and claimed there were red flags that Moore showed before his firing.
The investigation's report is now complete, and Michigan's Board of Regents evidently found reason to move on from Manuel at the end of 2026. A "full search for the school’s next athletic director will be conducted," per On3.
While Michigan has won football and basketball titles over the last three years, scandals have rocked the athletic department. Jim Harbaugh served two separate suspensions during the 2023 title-winning season, including one for the program's sign-stealing violations.
After Moore's firing, reports detailed evidence of his concerning behavior throughout the season.
On the basketball front, Michigan largely avoided scandal but had a number of ups and downs during Manuel's tenure. The Wolverines saw coach Juwan Howard take a swing at an opposing coach in 2022 and cratered in 2023-24, finishing just 8-24, but they rose to prominence under Dusty May and won a national championship this past season.
When May left for the NBA, however, some pointed the finger at Manuel for not doing more to keep him. That also meant Michigan had to replace its football and basketball coaches within months of each other for the second time in three years.
That instability proved to be too much for Michigan's Board of Regents to handle, and the Wolverines will have to start yet another search by the end of 2026.
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Warde Manuel investigation, explained
Michigan commissioned an investigation into the culture of the athletic department after Moore's firing in December, with reports claiming Moore's behavior grew concerning during the season. Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block handled the investigation after previously investigating the possibility of an affair between Moore and a female staffer.
On Monday, Michigan released an outline of the internal investigation. The investigation did not find that misconduct was widespread throughout the athletics department.
“Neither the investigation nor the culture review found that misconduct was widespread throughout the department,” the release stated. “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.”
Michigan also said in its statement that while "documents related to the investigation and culture review remain confidential," the outline released provides the "principal facts" of the findings. It also stated that 350 interviews were conducted, including coaches, student-athletes and staffers.
"The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the conduct of former Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore — specifically regarding an undisclosed workplace relationship with a direct report that violated University policy. The culture review was a broader assessment of the culture within the Department of Athletics, including leadership, oversight, accountability, reporting practices, compliance, organizational structure, and the effectiveness of policies and procedures," the outline stated. "While the circumstances surrounding Moore’s termination informed the culture review, the culture review extended well beyond that matter to examine broader operational and organizational issues across the department."
The review found that the athletic department had "three overarching areas for improvement," including "leadership accountability," "organizational structure" and "reporting culture." It also specifically addressed Manuel.
"The culture review found that Warde Manuel demonstrated important leadership strengths, particularly his commitment to student-athletes," Michigan's release said. "At the same time, it identified failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by Athletic Department employees."