Report Casts a Dark Cloud on Warde Manuel's Future at the University of Michigan

The Wolverines could be moving on from Manuel.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Warde Manuel's time as the athletic director at the University of Michigan could be coming to a close, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger.

The board of regents has scheduled a meeting for Thursday to further discuss Manuel's role with the Wolverines, Dellenger wrote on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter), and it has cast a dark cloud on his time remaining with the university.

According to Justin Spiro, a Michigan State reporter who has been digging into the scandals surrounding Michigan athletics, Manuel is set to be removed from his position. No other reporting corroborated this at the time of publication, but, when combined with Dellenger's news, it would appear Thursday's meeting will result in confirmation on Manuel's future with the school.

Jenner & Block report has yet to be released

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel talks during an interview at U-M's Weidenbach Hall in Ann Arbor on Monday, April 22, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Michigan hired the law firm Jenner & Block November 13, 2025, to do a thorough investigation into the athletic department prior to firing Sherrone Moore. The school paid $12 million for their investigation, according to the Detroit Free Press.

It would seem Manuel would have been a part of that investigation, though the findings, at this point, aren't known. The report is expected to show when and how much Manuel knew about Sherrone Moore's inappropriate relationship with staffer Paige Shiver.

"We will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that conduct like this does not happen again," interim university president Domenico Grasso said at the time. "Make no mistake. We will leave no stone unturned, and any further action we take will be based on credible evidence and findings, developed through a rigorous investigation.

"If the university learns of information through this investigation or otherwise that warrants a termination of any employee, we will act swiftly, just as we did in the case of Coach Moore."

Shiver sued the university, accusing the school of hiding public records and findings from the Jenner & Block report.

"This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation's findings, " said Andrew Stroth, a Chicago-based civil rights lawyer with Action Injury Law Group who is representing Shiver. "It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out."

Scandals during Manuel's tenure

Michigan won a football championship in 2023 and won the men's basketball national title this past season. But, despite winning two titles in a three-year span, there is controversy surrounding Ann Arbor.

Former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss is under federal charges for hacking into the computers of more than 100 universities across the country.

Connor Stalions really kicked things off when news hit about the sign-stealing saga. There were two assistant football coaches fired for OWI — Greg Scruggs and Denard Robinson in 2024 — along with the firing of Sherrone Moore.