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Embattled Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel on Tuesday addressed the latest round of reports about his potential exit from the university, saying he has had conversations about a potential buyout.
I think Ive been fired by social media three times in my ten years here, Manuel said during a previously scheduled interview on The Big 1050 WTKA.
Multiple media outlets recently suggested his job is in jeopardy amid investigations into the culture of the department and fired football coach Sherrone Moores relationship with his former executive assistant.
The investigations have cost the university about $12 million, and it may not release all the related reports.
Documents related to these attorney-directed investigations are privileged and confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege, school spokesman Paul Corliss said Tuesday.
Maintaining the confidentiality of these documents preserves the integrity of the investigative process, protects the privacy of those who participated and helps safeguard those individuals from potential retaliation.
Michigans board has a meeting on Thursday, where the publicly accessible agenda does not mention Manuel or the investigations.
I have four years left on my contract, said Manuel, who acknowledged talks about a possible buyout.
I dont know what the future is going to be.
I do feel confident in the things I have done here at Michigan.
Im very proud of what weve accomplished.
Manuel said he has helped the Wolverines have their best 10-year stretch, winning this years national championship in mens basketball along with recent football, mens and womens gymnastics NCAA titles, 95 Big Ten championships and 4,000-plus student-athletes earning academic all-conference honors.
Michigan also has had a string of scandals under his watch.
Manuel fired Moore for having an inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant, who .The football program is on NCAA probation, was and has seen many former staffers have run-ins with the law, including Matt Weiss, who is charged with hacking into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes to find intimate images.Manuel is also named in a lawsuit along with the university, its board, a former school president and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti that claims Michigan knew about the sign-stealing scandal nearly a year before the public did.The 58-year-old Manuel, who played football at Michigan under the late Bo Schembechler and was on the track team, was hired to lead the department in 2016.
He signed a contract extension at Michigan in 2024 that runs through June 2030.
Manuel, a New Orleans native, previously served as athletic director at Connecticut and Buffalo after working in Michigans athletic department in various roles from 1996 to 2005.
___ AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports Note: The video above originally aired on July 9, 2026.
Dusty May is leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks.
What now? Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down the shocking news of Michigan basketball coach Dusty May leaving for the NBA.
Barely three months since students flooded downtown Ann Arbor and chanted Tts great ..
to be ..
a Michigan Wolverine as they celebrated Michigan basketballs first NCAA championship in 37 years, youd be hard-pressed to find anyone on the schools campus who feels great about anything in the athletics department.
Instead, the university found itself in a much different and darker place Monday, July 13, when it faced new legal accusations that replaced all that happy singing with the deafening silence emitted through a barrage of no comment statements.
An amended lawsuit from former Wolverines linebackers coach Chris Partridge alleges former school president Santa Ono worked to hide details of the football teams sign-stealing scandal and that athletic department leaders knew about ex-coach Sherrone Moores affair with staff member Paige Shriver years before it led to his firing.
And Warde Manuel the athletic director who orchestrated that jubilation three months ago and even more jubilation three years earlier, when Michigan football won its first title in a quarter-century finds himself in the eye of the storm as he faces the end of his highly successful but troubled tenure.
Manuel is named in Partridges lawsuit, which claims he knew about Moores relationship with Shriver for years without taking action to protect the employee.
Hes also a focal point of an investigation that began in December, run by Chicago law firm Jenner & Block and costing the school nearly $12 million.
The Free Press has learned that higher-ups have been briefed on the findings.
The U-M Board of Regents is expected to discuss that investigation at a Thursday meeting in Traverse City.
On Sunday, Yahoo Sports reported that Manuels future is in doubt based on the findings of that investigation.
On Monday, Manuel told the website: The president [Domenico Grasso] and I have had several great conversations over the past couple of days.
There are no plans for me not to continue to be the athletic director for the near future.
The near future.
As in the ax may swing at any moment in the near future.
Its impossible to say what exactly will happen to Manuel once the investigation findings are released and discussed by regents.
But its also impossible to imagine Manuel emerges unscathed from years of scandal within the schools prized football program.
Can anyone imagine Jenner & Block lawyers facing regents after nearly $12 million has been shelled out and saying: Yeah, you know the guy whos been in charge of all this? Yeah, we got nothin on him.
So its not hard to see Manuel getting blamed in the investigation.
The question is how much blame does he get and what kind of punishment does the university want to dole out? Also, how much can the investigation truly divulge about Manuels role while the school contends with lawsuits from Partridge and Shriver? Cleaning house always sounds good.
But anyone whos ever actually cleaned a house, inside out and from top to bottom, can tell you its no easy chore.
Its actually messy, difficult work that often reveals other structural problems, whether youre talking about an actual house or an entire athletic department.
The closest example Michigan might follow with Manuel could come courtesy of its most hated rival.
Ohio State basically gave then-AD Gene Smith a slap on the wrist in 2018 by suspending him without pay for two weeks after he and then-football coach Urban Meyer mishandled domestic-assault allegations against former assistant coach Zach Smith.
The big difference between than Manuels situation is twofold: First, U-Ms investigation is examining the entire department; second, hes coming off a huge high that vaulted him into rarefied air an AD with national titles in football and basketball on his resume.
Does Michigan really want to get rid of the guy who proved he can hire a championship hoops coach, won the school an NCAA Tournament title and helped refill those NIL and donor coffers, just as new football and basketball coaches are about to start their first seasons in Ann Arbor? As for Manuel deciding to step aside on his own? Hes 58 and under contract through 2030.
He has too much road in front of him to imagine a quiet resignation to decide hes done as much as he can after 10 years on the job.
Nah.
Itd be a lot easier to imagine the man who played defensive lineman under U-M legend Bo Schembechler saying to Grasso, the regents, and the rest of an ungrateful administration: Youre gonna have to fire me.
If thats the case, you can also imagine a new contingent on Manuels behalf joining the growing briefcase-carrying group thats flooding downtown Ann Arbor these days and chanting to itself: Its great ..
to sue ..
the Michigan Wolverines.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at [email protected] and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
Michigan health officials are investigating a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened 2,640 people, with early evidence pointing to lettuce or salad greens as a possible source.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday (July 13) that while the investigation is ongoing, no specific type of lettuce, grower, or supplier has been identified.
Other food items also have not been ruled out.
Although we do not have a definite product identified as the source of the outbreak, we want to let Michiganders know what we have learned so far so they can take steps to protect their families, said Dr.
Natasha Bagdasarian, the departments chief medical executive.
Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation.
What is Cyclospora? Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the intestines and can cause watery diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.
The illness is typically spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite.
Michigan usually reports only 40 to 50 cases of cyclosporiasis each year, making the current outbreak unusually large.
What investigators know State health officials said they have completed more than 1,000 interviews with infected individuals while working with local, state, and federal partners to trace the source of the outbreak.
We really need that kind of coordination to happen at the national level, Bagdasarian said.
As soon as other states get their numbers to the CDC, we hope they can take a broader look to see whether these outbreaks are related.
Because symptoms can take up to two weeks to develop after exposure and food distribution networks are complex, officials said the investigation could take time.
Officials emphasized there is no evidence linking the outbreak to swimming or other recreational water activities.
Instead, investigators continue to focus on contaminated produce as the likely source.
Previous cyclospora outbreaks in the United States and Canada have been linked to bagged salad mixes, fresh cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions.
Health officials said the investigation has been complicated by cyclosporas long incubation period, with symptoms often taking up to two weeks to develop after exposure.
That means investigators have to ask people about foods they ate, restaurants they visited, and grocery purchases from two to six weeks earlier, Bagdasarian said.
How to protect yourself As a precaution, the department is urging residents, restaurants and commercial kitchens in affected counties to take extra care when handling lettuce and salad greens.
Health officials recommend purchasing whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged, pre-washed lettuce or salad kits, discarding the outer two to three leaves before preparation and thoroughly washing the remaining leaves under clean running water.
When possible, greens should be cooked to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), which kills the parasite.
The department also recommends washing all fresh produce under running water and peeling fruits and vegetables when possible.
People at higher risk of severe illness or dehydration, including older adults, young children, organ transplant recipients and people undergoing chemotherapy, are encouraged to take extra precautions.
Produce may have been grown on the other side of the country, possibly even in other countries, then processed somewhere else before coming into Michigan, Bagdasarian said.
Many suppliers also distribute produce to multiple grocery stores and restaurant chains, making it harder to pinpoint the source.
When to seek medical care Anyone experiencing frequent watery diarrhea should contact a health care provider and specifically request testing for cyclospora, as routine stool tests may not detect the parasite.
The illness is typically treated with antibiotics, along with rest and fluids to prevent dehydration.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it will continue providing updates as the investigation progresses.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit All rights reserved.
Michigan Sen.
Gary Peters backs Democratic Rep.
Haley Stevens in contentious race to succeed him GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.
Outgoing Michigan Sen.
Gary Peters is endorsing U.S.
Rep.
Haley Stevens as his successor, adding to a growing effort by the Democratic establishment to help her defeat progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed in next months primary.
Peters, who is retiring after 12 years in the Senate, said Stevens will be ready on day one to fight for Michigan.
The endorsement, which was announced Monday, marks a reversal for Peters, who told The Associated Press in late May that he intended to stay neutral in the race.
But since then, Democratic leaders have increasingly rallied behind Stevens as the Aug.
4 primary approaches and concerns grow that El-Sayed is too far left to succeed in November.
Holding the Michigan seat is viewed as critical to Democrats hopes of reclaiming the Senate majority.
Stevens, a four-term House member, has campaigned as a more moderate Democrat focused on manufacturing issues in the critical battleground state.
El-Sayed, who has never held elected office, is running on a more progressive platform that includes Medicare for All and campaign finance reform.
Hes also been outspoken about the war in Gaza, which has been a fault line within the party.
Concerns about Michigan have only intensified after Democrats attempt to flip a Senate seat in Maine was thrown into turmoil when nominee Graham Platner withdrew from the race following a sexual assault allegation last week.
Democrats there must now choose a new nominee to face Republican Sen.
Susan Collins.
Peters endorsement also comes after state Sen.
Mallory McMorrow dropped out of Michigans Democratic primary earlier this month, transforming the race into a head-to-head contest between Stevens and El-Sayed.
Senator Peters knows what it takes to win in Michigan, and he knows what Michigan needs from our next U.S.
Senator: grit, effectiveness, hard work, and Michigan common sense, Stevens said in a statement.
I am honored to have his support.
Peters won two Senate races in Michigan and led Senate Democrats campaign arm during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles.
His endorsement adds to Stevens growing support from the Democratic establishment, with the race being viewed nationally as a broader fight over the partys direction.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York has also backed Stevens, along with Sen.
Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Sen.
Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.
El-Sayed has support from Sen.
Bernie Sanders of Vermont and, more recently, Sen.
Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
The campaign has grown increasingly contentious in recent weeks.
El-Sayed has attacked Stevens over tens of millions of dollars in outside spending supporting her campaign, including by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Stevens has criticized El-Sayed for not disclosing his personal financial records.
During a July 7 debate, each accused the other of running a negative campaign.
Abdul has spent this entire campaign attacking me, Stevens said.
The Democratic winner will likely face Republican Mike Rogers, a former member of the U.S.
House running uncontested for his partys nomination, in what is expected to be one of the countrys most expensive and closely watched Senate races.
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