Michigan scandals under Warde Manuel: Timeline of athletics' incidents
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The firing of Michigan coach Sherrone Moore and his subsequent arrest has resulted in more scrutiny to athletic director Warde Manuel.
The handling of the investigation that found “credible evidence” Moore was involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer has resulted in a look into the athletic department as a whole.
The university Board of Regents met with Manuel on Thursday, Dec. 11 to discuss the Moore scandal, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Detroit Free Press, part of USA TODAY Co. Meanwhile, the law firm of Jenner & Block, which did the initial probe into allegations with Moore but didn’t discover anything, is investigating the athletic department.
It’s just one of the several incidents that have happened at Michigan recently in athletics, but they’ve all happened under Manuel’s leadership since he took the position in 2016, putting into question whether he should be fired from his position.
Grant Perry arrest, suspension
In October 2016, football receiver Grant Perry allegedly groped a Michigan State student in a bar and got into an altercation. He faced several criminal charges and reached a guilty plea deal in June 2017 to a count of resisting a police officer and a misdemeanor assault and battery charged.
Perry was suspended for three games in 2016 before before Manuel reinstated him one week after his sentencing, believing the three-games and half of the 2017 off-season was a sufficient penalty after speaking to university leadership.
Gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn
Rhonda Faehn lasted less than a week as a gymnastics consultant for Michigan. Once an executive for USA Gymnastics, Faehn was hired in January 2016 but it was met with backlash as during her time with the national tram, she was told of doctor Larry Nassar sexually assaulting gymnasts but waited at least a month before reporting it to authorities.
There was public outrage and several members of the Board of Regents publicly stated their desire for Faehn to be let go, and she lasted just four days in the role.
“It was the wrong decision, and I apologize,” Manuel said in the announcement of the firing. “Our student-athletes are our highest priority and I want to do everything in my power to support them fully and put the focus back on their athletic performance.”
Juwan Howard suspension
Men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard was suspended and fined in February 2022 after he struck Wisconsin ssistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft on the head at the end of the game, causing a scuffle between the two teams. He was suspended for the remainder of the regular season − five games − and was fined $40,000, with two Michigan players also getting suspensions.
Howard was fired in March 2024 after five seasons.
Men’s hockey coach Mel Pearson firing
Men’s hockey coach Mel Pearson was fired in August 2022 after a number of issues that embroiled the program in controversy. A complaint was filed against him and then-director of hockey operations Rick Bancroft in the beginning of 2021-22 season.
Allegations included “pressuring students to lie on their COVID-19 tracing forms” prior to the 2021 NCAA tournament, creating a “toxic work environment” for female support staff, retaliating against a former player for bringing up issues with team culture and allegations Bancroft knew about sexual misconduct committed by deceased Michigan football team doctor Dr. Robert Anderson.
A report by a law firm found Pearson did not provide credible answers to investigators and lied during their probe into the program.
Matt Weiss computer hacking
In January 2023, football co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss was arrested after allegations of computer hacking. Authorities said from 2015-2023, and Weiss allegedly downloaded confidential information of more than 150,000 student-athletes, targeting mostly females. He also gained access to the social media, email, and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 3,300 additional people.
Eleven women filed a class action lawsuit against Michigan and Weiss faces 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. Each count of unauthorized access faces a maximum of five years imprisonment and the aggravated identity theft charges carry two years on each count.
Shemy Schembechler firing
Son of longtime Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, Shemy Schembechler was hired as a football assistant recruiting director in May 2023 but resigned three days later there was controversy with his social media account that included “liked” posts that included transphobic and racially insensitive ideas.
Jim Harbaugh recruiting violations
Football coach Jim Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension to start the 2023 season after the NCAA delivered a draft notice of allegations of recruiting violations. The NCAA found Michigan had in-person recruiting contacts and tryouts during the NCAA-mandated COVID-19 dead period, and exceeded the number of allowed coaches participating in both on-and off-field coaching activities.
In April 2024, the NCAA placed the football team on three-year probation and later in August, Harbaugh was suspended for one year and given a four-year show-cause order after the NCAA ruled he demonstrated both “unethical conduct” and a failure to promote “an atmosphere of compliance.” The suspension and order came after Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal
In October 2023, the NCAA notifies Michigan and the Big Ten it has received allegations the Wolverines football team was involved in a sign-stealing operation that involved illegal advanced, in-person scouting. The scandal centers on off-field analyst Connor Stalions.
The investigation rocked the college football world and the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season as a result. Linebackers coach Chris Partridge was also fired after allegedly destroyed evidence related to the case.
In August, the NCAA releases its findings related to the case and hands out a 10-year show-cause for Harbaugh, eight years for Stalions, three years for former recruiting staffer Denard Robinson and two years for Sherrone Moore. Moore was suspended two games during the 2025 season and faced a one-game suspension in 2026.
Alex Yood firing
In November 2023, football staff member Alex Yood leaves the program after a viral video showed he was allegedly trying to meet a 13-year-old girl.
Greg Scruggs, Denard Robinson departure
In a two month span, defensive line coach Greg Scruggs and recruiting staffer Denard Robinson leave the program after they each had cases of driving under the influence. Scruggs was arrested in March 2024 and Robinson in April 2024.
Sherrone Moore firing, arrest
Football coach Sherrone Moore is fired on Dec. 10 after an investigation found he had “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer. The same day, Moore is arrested and later charged a felony count of home invasion and two misdemeanors after he allegedly entered the home of the person he had an “intimate relationship” with and threatened to harm himself.
Moore was released on Dec. 12 after he posted a $25,000 bond and was ordered to not have any contact with the victim.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Every Michigan scandal under AD Warde Manuel
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