University of Michigan president Domenico Grasso announced on Monday that athletic director Warde Manuel will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year. The news comes as a probe into the athletic department by outside firm Jenner & Block stemming from the firing of former head coach Sherrone Moore.
Moore’s inappropriate relationship with a staffer was just one of many scandals inside the Michigan athletic department. We won’t go through the entire list of transgressions under Manuel’s watch, but based on the announcement Monday, it became clear that it was best to move on from his leadership to turn the page. According to the statement, Moore informed Grasso that he will be stepping down.
Jenner and Block was commissioned to perform a culture review of the entire athletic program and “found that weaknesses in accountability, organizational structure, oversight, and reporting created conditions in which misconduct was not always addressed consistently, promptly, or in accordance with University expectations.” As it relates to the football program specifically, the firm “concluded that existing oversight mechanisms were not sufficiently effective and recommended strengthening leadership oversight, clarifying responsibilities, enhancing reporting relationships and improving compliance processes.”
The news means that Michigan will have a new football coach, basketball coach, and athletic director in a little over a year. Basketball head coach Dusty May moved on to the NBA following last season’s national championship. For his part, Manuel saw on-the-field success, but the criticism of how that came about will likely be a stain on the University and athletic program for years to come.
“I am very proud of all the successes and accomplishments of our athletic department over the past 11 years. We have tremendous coaches and professionals who support our outstanding student athletes every day,” Manuel said in a statement. “I am happy President Grasso asked me to stay on to work with him to implement the recommendations for continuous improvement. I promise everyone I will have more to say about my decision at the appropriate time.”
Manuel will be staying on as a special advisor to the president when his time as AD ends at the end of the year.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Warde Manuel to step down as Michigan athletic director at end of year
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
