Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is in one of the hottest seats in college sports after a string of scandals has left him hanging onto his job by a thread. The Wolverines’ athletic department has been under investigation for months by the Jenner & Block law firm, originally hired to investigate former coach Sherrone Moore’s alleged relationship with Paige Shiver.
Warde Manuel Pulled Deeper Into Sherrone Moore Scandal
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal published a report revealing that Manuel warned Moore against traveling with Shiver in 2024, suggesting prior knowledge of the inappropriate relationship.
“I told him I didn’t remember if we had already discussed, but that she couldn’t accompany him on trips,” Manuel wrote on August 29, 2024, in a letter produced by law firm Jenner & Block’s recent investigation into Moore’s conduct.
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel reacted on X to Manuel’s role in the Moore fiasco, with the A.D’s job reportedly on the line.
“Quite a revelation with Warde Manuel fighting for his job,” Mandel wrote.
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Moore was fired for cause after his alleged relationship with Shiver was publicized in December. Hours later, the former Wolverines coach was arrested and charged with felonious third-degree home invasion and two misdemeanors: stalking and breaking and entering into Shiver’s home, capturing the attention of college football.
The fallout from the Moore affair led the Jenner & Block law firm’s probe to expand to investigate the culture of the Wolverines’ athletic department, costing the institution $12 million.
In a Tuesday interview on Sam Webb’s ‘WTKA 1050-AM’ radio show, Manuel addressed the question of his future in Ann Arbor.
“What happens in this world is that for whatever reason, people decide to put things out there about what the future is going to hold,” Manuel said. “I think I’ve been fired by social media three times in my 10 years here.
“Don’t believe everything that’s out there in the world about what people say… It could happen, I don’t know. I don’t know what the future is going to be… I have four years left on my contract… I do feel confident in the things I have done here at Michigan… I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
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Manuel’s tenure as Michigan’s athletic director has been plagued by controversies, including the elaborate sign-stealing scandal orchestrated by Connor Stalions.
In March 2026, former Michigan assistant coach Chris Partridge filed a federal wrongful termination suit against the university, its Board of Regents, and Manuel, alleging the athletic director fired him as a scapegoat in a backroom deal with the Big Ten.
