In what had appeared to be a move brewing for weeks, the Michigan Wolverines have announced a decision regarding athletic director Warde Manuel’s future.
Manuel is expected to remain in the role through the end of the calendar year before officially stepping down. A full search for the school’s next AD will be conducted.
Michigan Releases Statement on External Investigation
The university had been conducting an investigation into Manuel’s role in the Sherrone Moore situation. On Monday, alongside the announcement, it released the findings of a culture review surrounding the athletic department.
“Neither the investigation nor the culture review found that misconduct was widespread throughout the department,” the report 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.”
Regarding Manuel, the review concluded that he demonstrated “important leadership strengths,” but also found that he failed to act quickly enough when allegations of wrongdoing surfaced within the athletic department, particularly those involving Moore.
“The culture review found that Warde Manuel demonstrated important leadership strengths, particularly his commitment to student-athletes. At the same time, it identified failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by Athletic Department employees.”
Here’s the link to Michigan’s release around the findings of its investigation into the athletic department.
Screenshots below, including what the investigation concluded about Sherrone Moore and AD Warde Manuelhttps://t.co/v1uFWPQh9d pic.twitter.com/uPuG3Zg2Yg
— Ben Portnoy (@bportnoy15) July 20, 2026
Michigan Interim President Addresses News
Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso thanked Manuel for his years of leadership in the athletic department but acknowledged that the program’s current standard is “unacceptable.”
“This is unacceptable,” Grasso said in a statement video on Michigan’s website. “We have significant work ahead to restore Michigan Athletics to its standing as a model program not only on the field, but also off the field. Moving forward, we are implementing reforms to improve the areas I mentioned. The recommendations are publicly available on our website.”
Michigan is set to begin its football season in just a few weeks under new head coach Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines are also coming off a national championship in men’s basketball but lost head coach Dusty May to an NBA job earlier this offseason.
Manuel was hired as Michigan’s athletic director in 2016, bringing his tenure in the role to just over a decade by the time he steps down.
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