Warde Manuel has served as Michigan's athletic director since 2016. He has survived Jim Harbaugh's departure, the Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga, Sherrone Moore's firing, and more. But an NFL analyst believes Thursday's Board of Regents meeting could finally be the one he does not survive.

"They're going to need a scapegoat," Craig Shemon of the Locked On Big 10 podcast said. "All along we thought Warde Manuel's employment status would be in danger once this investigation is over. And it appears it is over...He's the last one left."

That last line is the key point. Harbaugh left for the NFL. Moore was fired. President Santa Ono stepped down. Manuel is the one senior figure still standing after all of them.

With an independent Jenner & Block investigation costing Michigan nearly $12 million, someone must face public accountability, and Shemon believes the Board of Regents could target Manuel this Thursday.

"Warde Manuel is arguably the most successful athletic director in Michigan athletic history," Shemon said on the Locked On Big 10 podcast. "Under his watch, both the football and basketball teams have won national championships...He's done it in the most difficult era in college athletics."

Beyond securing on-field victories, Manuel simultaneously managed the turbulent introduction of NIL, the transfer portal, and athletic revenue sharing.

"When things got difficult, Warde Manuel pulled some rabbits out of some hats with his coaching hires," Shemon said in the same episode. "Sherrone Moore's firing came at a horrible time...In my opinion, Warde Manuel made a great hire in Kyle Whittingham."

Moore was fired on December 10 after a university investigation uncovered "credible evidence" that he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member. Manuel had almost no window to work with and still landed Whittingham, who had just retired at Utah.

"The Board of Regents meeting to discuss his future is not going to involve a raise or a contract extension," Shemon added. "That Warde Manuel will no longer be the athletic director come Friday."

Manuel is under contract through 2030 and is one of the highest-paid ADs in the country. Any departure means a buyout negotiation, which is why the timing and terms of Thursday's meeting matter so much.

If Warde Manuel is out, Michigan’s new AD walks into a strong position

Shemon made the case that whoever replaces Manuel is inheriting a better situation than it might look from the outside.

"This is still one of the best athletic director jobs in the country," Shemon said on the same podcast. "The new AD won't necessarily get to hire his own coaches, but he would be inheriting somewhat of a clean slate in that."

He also noted that football under Whittingham is still in the early stages with no games played yet. The new AD would not be walking into a program in decline.

For the interim role, Shemon suggested names like assistant AD Shawn McCarthy or former Michigan basketball coach John Beilein, who he described as still being well-liked across the program.

The Board of Regents meets Thursday. By Friday, Michigan's athletic leadership picture could look very different.

What do you think should happen with Warde Manuel after Thursday's Board of Regents meeting? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore