Warde Manuel’s scandal-ridden tenure as Michigan’s athletic director could soon be over, according to multiple reports.
After Michigan State media personality Justin Spiro reported Sunday afternoon that Manuel is out as Michigan’s athletic director and that the university is “negotiating terms of his release,” Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger tweeted that Manuel’s future in Ann Arbor is “in doubt.” Both reported that an announcement on Manuel’s departure could come this week, as the Michigan Board of Regents is scheduled to meet Thursday.
BREAKING - Warde Manuel is OUT as Michigan Athletic Director.
— Justin Spiro (@DarkoStateNews) July 12, 2026
The university is negotiating terms of his release. An announcement is expected this week. pic.twitter.com/mjUmDVNBlA
The future of Michigan AD Warde Manuel is in doubt in the wake of a report of an internal investigation around the Sherrone Moore saga, sources tell @YahooSports. A Michigan Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, where officials are expected to further respond to the report.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 12, 2026
The news comes as Michigan completes an internal investigation into its athletic department, which was commissioned in December after Sherrone Moore’s firing as football coach for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Moore was subsequently arrested after entering the staff member’s home without permission. Moore pleaded no contest to charges of trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device in March.
According to ESPN’s Dan Wetzel, the investigation report is expected to be released publicly on Thursday.
That’s just one of many scandals that have taken place in the Michigan athletic department in recent years. Most notably, the NCAA found “overwhelming evidence” that Michigan football conducted an illegal sign-stealing scheme from 2021 to 2023 under the leadership of former analyst Connor Stalions, which resulted in fines of approximately $30 million against Michigan.
Another major scandal involving Michigan football in recent years was the arrest of former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, who was indicted on 24 federal charges for allegedly obtaining unauthorized access to personal information and intimate photos and videos of thousands of college athletes.
The NCAA also found that former coach Jim Harbaugh’s program committed recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a four-year show-cause penalty against Harbaugh. Harbaugh, who left Michigan after the 2023 season to become the head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, later received another 10-year show-cause penalty for his involvement in the sign-stealing scheme.
Michigan’s controversies in recent years haven’t been limited to the football program, as men’s hockey coach Mel Pearson was fired in 2022 after an investigation into his program revealed a toxic culture and potential violations of university codes. Former men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard was suspended for five games in 2022 after he struck a Wisconsin assistant coach during a postgame handshake line.
On the field of play, Michigan has had some major successes under Manuel’s leadership, including a football national championship in 2023 and a men’s basketball national championship this past season. But Manuel drew ire from Michigan fans for his failure to retain the Wolverines’ best coaches, as men’s basketball coach Dusty May followed Harbaugh in leaving Ann Arbor for the professional ranks immediately after winning a national title.
Manuel, a former Michigan football player, has been Michigan’s athletic director since January 2016. He signed a five-year contract extension with Michigan in December 2024, despite the ongoing investigation into the sign-stealing scandal that was happening at that time. According to Dellenger, Michigan will owe Manuel 36 months of pay as severance unless the school reaches a settlement agreement with Manuel.
If Manuel is dismissed, Michigan will enter the 2026-27 sports season with a new athletic director, football coach and men’s basketball coach. Michigan hired former Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham in December to replace Moore, while assistant basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. was promoted to replace May.
