Michigan AD Warde Manuel's future uncertain amid buyout discussions
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Warde Manuel remains the athletics director at the University of Michigan. How much longer that is the case is uncertain.
Manuel and the school are discussing issues around a potential buyout, two people with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press.
The talks come after Michigan stakeholders, including the regents, president and attorneys, were last month orally presented with the findings from an investigation over the last six months that looked into the athletic department’s culture and what was known about former football coach Sherrone Moore’s affair with his then-executive assistant, Paige Shiver. Moore was pleaded guilty to charges related to entering Shiver’s apartment and allegedly threatening her with a knife. He received a sentence of 18 months of probation and a fine.
A person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that Manuel conducted meetings this week and maintained to staff that he wanted to remain as athletics director and would not be quitting. The person requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Manuel spoke Tuesday with Sam Webb on WTKA-1050 and did not deny buyout discussions had taken place.
“I don’t know what the future is going to be and how long I’ll be in this position,” Manuel told Webb. “I do know that I’m here today and I do know that I’m going to be here tomorrow. And I do feel confident in the things I have done here at Michigan. Not for me, not for Warde — but on behalf of the University of Michigan, our student-athletes, our coaches, our staff, our fans, our donors, to drive success with our student-athletes academically and athletically.
“I’ve had several conversations over the last six or seven months about the future and things that have happened and different opportunities and different ways that things could go. There’s no doubt about it. I’m not going to hide from that conversation that occurs. But as it relates to where things are going to go, I’m not 100% certain.”
There has been significant highs and lows during Manuel’s tenure. Michigan has won on the field at unprecedented rates, including its first football title since 1997 and its first men’s basketball championship, and the athletic department’s financials have significantly improved during the decade Manuel’s been at the helm
However, there has also been a litany of scandals across a myriad of sports: two NCAA investigations into football, a former football coach fired and investigated by the FBI, a head football coach who had an affair with a staffer, a hockey coach with a questionable culture, a basketball coach who smacked another team’s coach on the court and more.
When the U-M insider was asked by the Freep if the decision that is in the works behind the scenes is one that comes because Manuel is tired after years of being embroiled in scandal and often being seen as the fall guy, or if it’s that the findings of the investigation lent itself to the two sides agreeing it’s best they go their separate ways, this person said, “It’s more of the latter.”
“I don’t know that he can be held accountable for every person in the department that lies, right? It’s that just over time, some of these kinds of issues have accumulated,” the person said. “But he’s also been the athletic director over all these things over the years. So at some point, somebody has to be identified as, you know, the person who either needs to fix our processes to make sure it doesn’t happen again, or find somebody who will.
“When things keep going wrong over and over and over − I want to balance that with the things that go right, and that’s winning national championships and having great academic results amongst our athletes … the whole thing just sucks.”
Manuel told Webb he had not seen a report of the investigation that was done by Jenner & Block and cost $11 million.
The Free Press was told no physical report has been presented to anybody − that includes the Board of Regents, the president and Michigan attorneys who were briefed last month without Manuel, who was briefed separately.
While in the days following Moore’s firing and arrest Michigan president Dominico Grasso said the university would leave “no stone unturned” in the investigation and that it would take “whatever steps necessary” in order to ensure this type of situation does not arise again, the school did not explicitly state it would release the findings of the investigation.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan AD Warde Manuel’s future uncertain amid buyout discussions
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