The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546004
AUGUST 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 19 Paul Corliss announced Manuel's res- ignation. "We can confirm … 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," he told the Detroit News. Just a week before the announce- ment, Manuel took to WTKA Ann Arbor to deny premature reports that he was "out" at Michigan. He also used his time to defend himself, having been a target of fans and others on social media for years, even joking he'd been "fired three times [before]" on those platforms. "I don't know what the future is going to be and how long I'll be in this posi- tion," Manuel said. "I do know that I'm here today, and I do know that I'm going to be here tomorrow. I do feel confident in the things I have done here at Michi- gan, not for me, not for Warde, but on behalf of the University of Michigan, our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff, our fans, our donors, to drive success with our student-athletes academically and athletically. "I've had several conversations over the last six or seven months about the future and things that have happened and different opportunities and differ- ent ways that things could go. There's no doubt about it. I'm not going to hide from that conversation that occurs. But as it relates to where things are going to go, I'm not 100 percent certain." His future became clearer the follow- ing Monday after Michigan released Jen- ner and Block's findings, but he won't leave empty-handed. Per reports, Man- uel's separation agreement includes a one-time payment of $7 million, along with retirement benefits and reimburse- ment for legal fees. It calls for the uni- versity to pay a lump sum of $108,000 within 21 days of his resignation, $108,000 in retirement funds, and ac- cess to AD benefits, such as sports tick- ets, and his attorneys' fees ($82,000). Manuel agreed to a five-year contract extension in late 2024 that would have run through June 2030. He'd have owed three years' worth of compensation if fired, if he hadn't reached his settlement with the university. "I do feel confident in the things I have done here at Michigan," Manuel said, later indicating he'd have much more to say. "I'm very proud of what we've accomplished." A MIXED BAG Among his positives, of course, were national championships in both football (2023) and basketball (2026), impressive graduation rates, and overall success in many sports. Critics, though, would point to the numerous off-field incidents on his watch and to his struggles to retain elite coaches. Baseball coach Erik Bakich, John Beilein, Jim Harbaugh, and Dusty May all got away, and some questioned how hard he worked to keep them, or if there was more he could have done. In addition, more lawsuits have sur- faced, including one from Shiver and an amended one from former linebackers coach Chris Partridge. Shiver sued the university on July 8, al- leging that her Freedom of Information Act requests were denied on her behalf involving her relationship with Moore. She alleges that the university wrong- fully denied her public records requests six times for information related to the Moore investigation, months after he was fired as the Wolverines' head coach for his inappropriate relationship with her. From the report, per the Associated Press: "Throughout the duration of her employment with the University of Mich- igan, Shiver was discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environ- ment based on her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Michigan law including Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, In addition, unidenti- fied University of Michigan employees violated Shiver's privacy rights as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Ac- countability Act through unauthorized access of Shiver's medical records," Moore was sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading no contest to trespassing and to the malicious use of a telecommunications device. He was fired Dec. 10 and then allegedly broke into Shiver's house and reportedly threat- ened to kill himself in front of her with a kitchen knife. Partridge filed his federal lawsuit against the university, its board of regents, former president Santa Ono, Manuel, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti after he believed he was made the "scapegoat" of U-M's sign-stealing allegations. He alleged that his 2023 termination was un- lawful and politically motivated, and that it permanently damaged his career. His first complaint, filed March 11 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accused the defendants of violating Partridge's constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amend- ments and sought damages for lost em- ployment, reputational harm, and emo- tional distress, and it was amended in July. Finally, one more black mark surfaced when former staffer LaTroy Lewis was accused of sexual assault this winter. The Atlanta Falcons fired the former U-M de- fensive graduate assistant after the allega- tions surfaced. Police reported the alleged assault happened in December 2024 while Lewis worked for Michigan under Moore. The victim's attorney, Karen Truszkowski, told Fox there were "several goals" in bringing the accusations to light. "One is that the university pays closer attention to what's happening in their athletic department and the university overall, and how they respond to reports like this," she said, alleging Moore knew and did nothing. "And to make it clear who is a mandatory reporter at the uni- versity — who has responsibility when they hear stories like this." As of late July, the investigation that included, but was not limited to, many of the events above, reportedly eclipsed $12 million. Though it's not clear when a new ath- letic director will be named, Michigan will likely first have to hire a new president to replace president Domenico Grasso. Sources say U-M has been interview- ing candidates to replace him and that it should be wrapped up within the next several weeks, after which more time can be spent pursuing Manuel's replace- ment. ❑ ❱ U-M spokesman Paul Corliss "We can confirm … 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."