Dec. 1, 2012 - East Hartford, CT, USA - Saturday December 1, 2012: Connecticut Athletic Director Warde Manuel looks on from the sidelines during the 2nd half of the NCAA, College League, USA football game between Cincinnati and Connecticut at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Cincinnati beat Connecticut 34-17 and captured a share of the Big East Championship for 2012. Bill Shettle / Cal Media Copyright: xBillxShettlex
Dec. 1, 2012 - East Hartford, CT, USA - Saturday December 1, 2012: Connecticut Athletic Director Warde Manuel looks on from the sidelines during the 2nd half of the NCAA, College League, USA football game between Cincinnati and Connecticut at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. Cincinnati beat Connecticut 34-17 and captured a share of the Big East Championship for 2012. Bill Shettle / Cal Media Copyright: xBillxShettlex
Jul 22, 2026, 3:40 AM CUT
Warde Manuel’s Michigan Legacy defined by titles and turmoil
Michigan's athletic director Warde Manuel spent years building Michigan athletics into one of the most successful departments in the country. On Monday, July 20, the university announced he is stepping down at the end of 2026.
University president Domenico Grasso broke the news on Monday alongside the release of a summary of the Jenner and Block investigation into the athletic department's culture.
"Today, I am announcing that Warde Manuel has told me that he would like to step down," Grasso said in the statement, per the video posted by University of Michigan YouTube channel. "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."
Eleven years is a long time, and the achievements are real. Michigan won the football national championship in 2023 under Jim Harbaugh and the basketball national championship in 2026 under Dusty May. Manuel also served on the College Football Playoff selection committee since 2022 and chaired the inaugural 12-team CFP committee.
Dec. 29, 2012 - Hartford, CT, USA - Saturday December 29, 2012: Connecticut Athletic Director Warde Manuel talks to the media after announcing the signing of Kevin Ollie to a five year deal to be Connecticut s Head coach, at a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the NCAA, College League, USA basketball game between Washington and Connecticut at XL Center in Hartford, CT. Bill Shettle / Cal Media. Copyright: xBillxShettlex
Dec. 29, 2012 - Hartford, CT, USA - Saturday December 29, 2012: Connecticut Athletic Director Warde Manuel talks to the media after announcing the signing of Kevin Ollie to a five year deal to be Connecticut s Head coach, at a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the NCAA, College League, USA basketball game between Washington and Connecticut at XL Center in Hartford, CT. Bill Shettle / Cal Media. Copyright: xBillxShettlex
MLive's sportswriter Andrew Kahn put the other side of it plainly on the Wolverine Confidential podcast.
"The list of scandals under Warde Manuel was long," Kahn said on the podcast, per MLive. And while very few of them were directly his fault, they did happen in an athletic department that he oversees."
The Connor Stalions sign-stealing investigation, Matt Weiss's federal hacking charges, Juwan Howard's a****** on a Wisconsin assistant, and, finally, the Sherrone Moore situation all occurred under Manuel's watch.
Not all of them were his direct doing. But the Jenner and Block report found he failed to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by department employees.
Manuel issued his own statement shortly after the announcement.
"I am very proud of all the successes and accomplishments of our athletic department over the past 11 years," Manuel said, per the Detroit News. "We have tremendous coaches and professionals who support our outstanding student-athletes every day."
Grasso asked Manuel to stay through December rather than letting him leave immediately. This was a negotiated ending, not a firing. But an ending nonetheless.
What the Jenner and Block report actually found about Warde Manuel
The investigation found structural failures inside the department. Weak accountability. Poor oversight. Reporting gaps that let misconduct go unaddressed for too long.
On Manuel personally, the report credited his genuine care for student-athletes. But it also found he was too slow to act when wrongdoing was actually raised.
Michigan has not released the full report. They cited attorney-client privilege. The Detroit News filed an open-records request. It was denied.
Manuel will serve as a special adviser to Grasso through the end of the year while the AD search runs alongside that, per the Michigan Daily.
What do you think about Warde Manuel's legacy after eleven years as Michigan's athletic director? Let us know in the comments.
Read more at Michigan Football Community.
Written by
Farheen Fathima
Edited by
Soheli Tarafdar