ANN ARBOR — Warde Manuel will step down as athletic director at the University of Michigan at the end of 2026. The university announced Manuel's departure on Monday, July 20, 2026.

The decision follows a third-party investigation that identified failures by Manuel to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by athletic department employees. The culture review found that weaknesses in accountability, organizational structure, oversight, and reporting created conditions in which misconduct was not always addressed consistently.

Manuel and the university agreed to a buyout of the remaining years on his contract. His annual base salary is $2.4 million. His contract stipulates he be paid through his term or for 36 months if terminated without cause. Manuel signed a contract extension in December 2024 that was set to run through June 30, 2030.

Manuel will remain in his role as a special advisor to the president until the end of the calendar year to help implement reforms. "I am happy President Grasso asked me to stay on to work with him to implement the recommendations for continuous improvement," Manuel said.

University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso expressed support for the outgoing athletic director. "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," Grasso said.

"I am very proud of all the successes and accomplishments of our athletic department over the past 11 years," Manuel said. "We have tremendous coaches and professionals who support our outstanding student athletes every day."

The law firm Jenner & Block conducted the investigation. The university spent over $12 million on the third-party inquiry into the athletic department. The inquiry included 350 interviews with coaches, student-athletes, and staffers. The investigation did not find that misconduct was widespread throughout the athletic department.

Manuel has served as the university's athletic director since January 2016. He is 58 years old. Manuel played football for the University of Michigan under coach Bo Schembechler.

Former head football coach Sherrone Moore was fired in December 2025 for an inappropriate relationship with executive assistant Paige Shiver. Moore was arrested after entering the home of Paige Shiver. He was charged with felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering. Paige Shiver filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan claiming the school violated the Freedom of Information Act.

Legal actions have also involved other former staff members. Former linebackers coach Chris Partridge filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents, Manuel, former president Santa Ono, and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti. Former assistant coach Matt Weiss was indicted on 24 federal cybercrime charges.

The football program has faced NCAA sanctions in recent years. Jim Harbaugh served suspensions during the 2023 season for sign-stealing violations. In August 2025, the NCAA ordered the University of Michigan to pay fines exceeding $30 million for sign-stealing violations.

The NCAA put the University of Michigan football program on probation for four years through April 10, 2031. Former staffer Connor Stalions was given a show-cause order for eight years. Jim Harbaugh was given a show-cause order for ten years. Denard Robinson was given a show-cause order for three years.

The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team won the national championship in 2021. Mike Boynton was promoted to head men's basketball coach at the University of Michigan.

Leadership changes have also occurred at the university level. Kent Syverud was slated to become the University of Michigan president but stepped down due to a brain cancer diagnosis in April 2026. Domenico Grasso was elevated to the full-time position of University of Michigan president in May 2026.

The university has also dealt with prior major settlements. The University of Michigan agreed to a $450 million settlement in 2022 with victims of Dr. Robert Anderson.