Michigan Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel says chatter about his job security is just social media noise.
On Sunday, a report shared that Michigan is planning to oust Manuel at a meeting scheduled for Thursday. He pushed back on that claim on Monday evening and did more of that in a radio interview on Tuesday.
Warde Manuel dismisses job status rumors
“I think I’ve been fired by social media three times in my ten years here,” Manuel told Michigan Insider (h/t The Athletic’s Austin Meek).
It’s not just social media that’s saying Manuel’s future is in doubt. It’s also well-respected media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, which published a bombshell report on Tuesday.
The WSJ reported that law firm Jenner & Block (which the school hired to investigate its athletic department) concluded that the AD and the school ignored warning signs surrounding former football head coach Sherrone Moore. The program fired him in December 2025 after an investigation found he had an inappropriate relationship with former staffer Paige Shiver. Manuel and the school, however, reportedly knew about it well beforehand.
“I told [Moore] I didn’t remember if we had already discussed, but that [Shiver] couldn’t accompany him on trips,” wrote Manuel in a note on Aug. 29, 2024, via The WSJ’s Corinne Ramey and Rachel Bachman.
This stains Michigan’s already tarnished reputation. The Moore scandal has been one of many under Manuel’s watch. The long list includes the Connor Stalions saga, in which the former staffer was caught sign-stealing during the 2023 season. In August 2025, the NCAA placed Michigan on a four-year probation for the Stalions ordeal.
In the wake of these problems, Michigan has been racking up legal bills. Jenner & Block reportedly charged the school nearly $12M for its probe.
This should be a talking point at Thursday’s meeting. This session doesn’t include Manuel’s future on the agenda, but it is being discussed. He acknowledged talks of a potential buyout.
“I have four years left on my contract,” Manuel said. “I don’t know what the future is going to be.
“I do feel confident in the things that I have done here at Michigan. I’m very proud of what we accomplished.”
During Manuel’s tenure, the Wolverines have won national championships in college football and college basketball. The scandals overshadow those accomplishments.
Former Wolverines football HC Bo Schembechler coined the phrase “Michigan Man.” It refers to a person who embodies one of the university’s core values: integrity. The program has often failed to display it during Manuel’s time in Ann Arbor. Forgetting this principle is why Manuel is under the microscope on social media and in real life.
