University of Michigan president Domenico Grasso announced Monday morning that Warde Manuel will step down from his role as athletic director at the end of the 2026 calendar year.
“Today, I am announcing that Warde Manuel has told me that he would like to step down,” Grasso said. “I have the deepest respect for Warde and his countless contributions to Michigan and have asked him to stay on until the end of the calendar year. I have asked him, along with one of my trusted vice presidents, to serve as a special advisor to the president and help implement these reforms, and I will be launching a national search for our next athletic director.”
The impending change in leadership coincides with the University’s release summarizing the Jenner & Block investigation that began in Dec 2025 following the firing of former football coach Sherrone Moore. In a statement released by the Office of Public Affairs, the University wrote it had found faults with the department’s internal management.
“The culture review found that Warde Manuel demonstrated important leadership strengths, particularly his commitment to student-athletes,” the statement read. “At the same time, it identified failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by Athletic Department employees.”
Manuel’s future was called into question last week by reports of his potential dismissal at last Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting. However, the regents did not discuss the athletic department during the proceedings.
Following the meeting, Grasso affirmed that Manuel is “one of the best athletic directors in the country.” Previously, Manuel had publicly expressed his wish to remain with the University athletic department.
Hired as athletic director in Jan 2016 after serving in the same position at Connecticut for four years, Manuel experienced both success and controversy in his 11 years at the helm of Michigan Athletics. The Wolverines won four national championships under his tenure, including in April when the Michigan men’s basketball team defeated the Huskies for its second-ever NCAA title.
The University athletic department faced numerous scandals under Manuel’s leadership. He came under fire in 2022 for retaining former hockey coach Mel Pearson for several months after an investigation revealed Pearson’s pattern of misconduct within the program.
In Oct 2023, the Michigan football team underwent an investigation by the NCAA for sign-stealing allegations in connection with former assistant Connor Stallions. The NCAA accepted self-imposed sanctions on former coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore, before imposing further penalties on the program in Aug 2025. Amid the controversy, former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss and Moore were each fired for cause following violations of the University’s personal conduct policy.
Manuel became a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee in the 2022-2023 season, before being promoted to chair last year. The CFP confirmed to the Daily that Manuel’s term ended following the 2024-2025 season.
The University issued a broad summary of the Jenner & Block findings but did not publish any documents related to the report, citing privacy and attorney-client privilege.
“Investigation and culture review remain confidential,” the statement read. “ … The information below reflects the principal facts of the investigation and culture review, recommendations, and the actions the University is taking to implement them.”
It remains to be seen which intended actions will come to fruition.
