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Did Michigan fire Warde Manuel? Report claims controversial athletics director has departed; details
Reports claim Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel has been fired after nearly a decade, though the university has not officially confirmed his departure.
Former footballer Warde Manuel, who is the reigning Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan, has reportedly been fired by the university. As of now, there is no confirmation from Michigan Athletics about Manuel's departure.
Manuel has been a controversial figure atop the Michigan athletics administration, to say the least. In his 10-year tenure at Michigan, which started in 2016, several controversies have gripped the Michigan Athletics programs over the years. It has put Manuel's role under the scanner, leading many Michigan faithful to call for his firing from the program.
But those demands were not heeded, even after the controversy surrounding former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Then, on Sunday, reports emerged that Warde Manuel has been fired by Michigan and the terms of his separation with the program are now being discussed.
Report Claims Warde Manuel Has Been Fired
On Sunday, Justin Spiro, a top Michigan sports commentator on social media and the host of "The Spiro Avenue Show", reported on X that Warde Manuel has been fired. The former MSU alumnus claimed that the University of Michigan is negotiating the terms of his release, and an announcement is expected this week.
"Warde Manuel is OUT as Michigan Athletic Director," Spiro wrote in an X post. "The university is negotiating terms of his release. An announcement is expected this week."
However, despite Spiro's claim, no other Michigan Athletics insider has confirmed the news of Warde Manuel's departure. An official announcement from either the University of Michigan or Warde Manuel himself is still pending.
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Why Warde Manuel Is A Controversial Figure
Warde Manuel, a former NFL player, took over the University of Michigan athletics in 2016, kicking off a tenure marked by one controversy after another. They have led many Michigan athletics fans to question Manuel's competence. Each of the controversies has come along with calls for 59-year-old to be fired from the program.
In December 2025, former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was fired by the university for an inappropriate relationship with a former staffer, Paige Shivers, which escalated into stalking, trespassing and Moore's subsequent arrest. Earlier this month, the release of the $12 million Jenner & Block investigative report has reignited the controversy.
The biggest controversy during Moore's tenure was the 2023 sign-stealing scandal orchestrated by former staffer Conor Stalions. It resulted in massive NCAA sanctions and potentially $30 million in fines.
Additionally, the row over late team doctor Robert Anderson's sexual abuse of student athletes over several years led to a lawsuit which the university settled for $290 million in 2022.
