Ex-coach sues Michigan, says he's 'scapegoat' for sign-stealing scandal

An ex-Michigan football coach is suing the University of Michigan, its athletic director, Warde Manuel, and the Board of Regents for wrongful termination from when he was fired in November of 2023.

Chris Partridge, who recently won a Super Bowl as a member of the Seattle Seahawks staff, filed a suit on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging Michigan “unjustly terminated Partridge’s employment and spread false and damaging information regarding his professional conduct,” according to the suit filed by attorney Elizabeth Abdnour of East Lansing-based Abdnour Weiker LLP.

Partridge is seeking an undisclosed amount of money for damages.

The Free Press recently obtained the 47-page document, which claims the University failed to provide due process, which led to “subsequent devastation to Partridge’s outstanding reputation as a football coach.”

It continues to state despite Partridge being cleared by an NCAA report which stated there was insufficient evidence that interfered with the investigation, he’s “never been able to rectify the harm that Michigan’s wrongful termination, the media firestorm against him, and Manuel’s subsequent blacklisting have caused to his career.” The report says Partridge believes he can’t coach in college football because of this.

When Partridge was fired, Michigan cited his failure to “abide by the University directive not to discuss an ongoing NCAA investigation with anyone associated with the Michigan Football Program” in a termination letter.

Nearly two years later, the NCAA released an in-depth report in August 2025 which handed down a number of penalties to Michigan, including fines up to $30 million, probation, recruiting sanctions and a number of staffers who were given show causes all as a result of the investigation into the illegal scouting scheme.

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As for Partridge, the NCAA says while “questions remain about Partridge’s knowledge of the impermissible scouting scheme, there is insufficient information to reasonably conclude that Partridge attempted to influence a student-athlete to lie about it to the enforcement staff.”

Partridge was in his fifth season as a member of U-M’s coaching staff when he was fired. He was brought back Feb. 8, 2023, to begin his second tenure with the Wolverines when he was hired to be an analyst. Shortly after, U-M parted ways with then-linebackers coach George Helow and moved Partridge to coach linebackers.

Partridge previously served as special teams coordinator for four seasons (2016-19), before he became defensive coordinator at Ole Miss for three seasons (2020-22). He joined former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald’s staff in Seattle in February of 2024.

The suit says Partridge was used as a “scapegoat” after he told a player it might be wise to get an attorney − the suit specifies Partridge “does not deny” he had that conversation with a player. The suit says there was never a directive given not to communicate with a student-athlete during an investigation, which says any such directive would’ve “brought [the season] to a screeching halt if none of the coaches could talk to any of the players until the NCAA investigation was concluded.”

“Contrary to misinformation communicated by the University Athletics Department and at least one member of the Board of Regents Partridge’s termination, Partridge was not fired for destroying evidence or interfering with the NCAA’s “sign-stealing” investigation,” the suit states. “Nor was Partridge fired for telling a player to be dishonest in an NCAA interview.

“Despite Partridge’s unwavering commitment and success, the University of Michigan unjustly terminated Partridge’s employment and spread false and damaging information regarding his professional conduct, tarnishing Partridge’s hard-earned reputation and inflicting irreparable harm on to his career and personal well-being.”

Free Press investigative reporter Dave Boucher contributed to this report.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-coach Chris Partridge sues Michigan football, Warde Manuel