Ward Manuel Remains Athletic Director at University of Michigan

Despite rampant speculation and some unverified tweets, Ward Manuel is still serving as the athletic director at the University of Michigan. This update was shared by Ross Dellenger from Yahoo Sports on Thursday evening.

This development is particularly important as the university is currently initiating a search for a new head football coach. This follows the dismissal of Sherone Moore, who was let go on Wednesday due to credible findings regarding an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.

University officials and Michigan State trustees plan to have a conference call on Thursday to address Moore’s situation, especially with him facing charges related to an alleged assault on the day he was fired. But, interestingly, it’s uncertain how long Manuel’s position is safe; John Bacon, a lecturer at the university and author with deep connections to Michigan’s football scene, hinted that there might be some wavering support from the board.

“The current commitment level of the Michigan board to keeping AD Ward Manuel in his role is unclear,” Bacon mentioned on social media, adding that Manuel seemed to have withstood several conference calls, according to interim president Domenico Grasso, who confirmed that the investigation surrounding Moore is still ongoing.

Manuel’s time as athletic director has been marked by scandals, notably the well-publicized suspensions of former head football coach Jim Harbaugh—first for recruiting violations and then in connection with the Connor Stallions sign-stealing controversy.

Additionally, it came to light that Manuel had been alone with Moore the morning the latter was informed of his firing and was aware of Moore’s mental health struggles prior to the dismissal.

Further Developments on Sherone Moore

Adding to the unexpected nature of events in Ann Arbor, reports emerged alleging that Moore entered the home of executive assistant Paige Shiver armed with a knife. According to police audio, a woman reported to 911 that Moore had a knife and had been stalking her for months.

The audio indicated that Moore made threats to harm himself and eventually fled on foot toward a nearby church. As of Thursday evening, he was taken into custody, but no formal charges had been filed yet.