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Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel speaks out as a broad overhaul of the football program takes place in the wake of Sherrone Moore’s firing.
Last year, an investigation determined that Moore was involved in an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” It was later revealed that Moore’s former assistant was part of the relationship. The fallout from the scandal ultimately left Michigan’s top sports official feeling “betrayed.”
“I felt betrayed. That’s the best word I can use,” Manuel told the Detroit News.
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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore appears in a courtroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan on January 22, 2026. (José Juárez/AP)
Manuel said the situation struck a chord and had broader consequences for people around the program.
“It was personal, but it was also, I want to emphasize, for so many people who were affected. … There are a lot of people who claim to be insensitive, who say, ‘Oh, you should have fired him when the rumor was out.’ But you can’t fire people based on rumors without any proof. So when the evidence was presented, it was a feeling of betrayal and hurt for everyone who was going to be involved in a decision.”
FORMER MICHIGAN COACH SHERRONE MOORE RECEIVES PUNISHMENT FOR STALKING CASE ARISING FROM SHOOTING
Manuel seemed to dodge questions about who initiated the investigation — whether it was his decision or that of the Board of Regents. He also pushed back on how the program was presented, defending the broader culture of the program.
University of Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore stands next to Warde Manuel, the school’s athletic director, during a news conference at the Junge Family Champions Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 27, 2024. (David Rodriguez Munoz/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“I was fine if that was the direction they wanted to go,” Warde Manuel said. “What I didn’t like … is in the context of investigating the culture here. However people want to phrase it, what I want is for people to understand that 99.9 percent of the people here are doing things the right way. … We’ve had our problems and we’re not perfect, and I don’t know of any organization that is without problems and human problems.”
Amid speculation about his own role, Manuel pushed back on the idea that he was under investigation.
Athletic director Warde Manuel of the Michigan Wolverines walks onto the field before a football game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on November 15, 2025. (Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire)
“That’s not how I see it, no. Look, it’s easy for people to say, well, Warde is the leader, and so it’s not just a review, it’s an investigation into what the leader did. That’s not, for me, what I’m going to take away from it. … And I’m not pretending that I can’t be better. … We’ve had our problems, and we’re solving them, and we’re trying to get better every time.”
Manuel declined to comment on Sherrone Moore’s sentencing, instead expressing support and expressing hope that everyone can move forward.
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“I want Sherrone to get through this and move forward for himself and his family, and so I don’t have a reaction to the conviction itself, more a reaction to him as a person. … I want him and everyone involved to be able to get through this, move forward, learn from it and be better. That’s how I see it. I don’t judge any of the outcomes or the things that he goes through.”
Moore faced up to five years in prison for home invasion and stalking charges after he was removed from Michigan. He avoided prison after pleading to lesser charges and was ordered to have no contact with his former assistant.
Kyle Whittingham left Utah to replace Moore as Michigan’s head coach.
