Warde Manuel is still the man in charge of the University of Michigan’s athletic department.
Despite conjecture online and unverified murmurs, Manuel is still the athletic director, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported on Thursday night.
The news is significant considering Michigan is now beginning a search for a new head coach following the firing of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday after the school found “credible evidence” that he allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.
University officials and Michigan board members held calls on Thursday to discuss the situation with Moore, who is currently sitting in Washtenaw County Jail pending potential charges related to an alleged assault that occurred on the day of his termination.
It remains unclear how long Manuel will remain in the position, though, with John Bacon, a University of Michigan instructor and author with deep ties to the school’s illustrious football program, suggesting the board may not entirely be behind him.
“Not sure how committed the University of Michigan Regents are to retaining AD Warde Manuel, but he’s still the AD as of Thursday evening, apparently surviving a few conference calls. Interim President Domenico Grasso says the investigation into the Moore drama is ongoing,” Bacon posted on X.
Manuel’s tenure as athletic director has been littered with scandals, including the highly publicized suspensions of former head football coach Jim Harbaugh — once for recruiting violations and another for the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.
NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach reported earlier on Thursday that Manuel was alone with Moore when he delivered the news that the coach would be fired and that the AD had been alerted before Wednesday that Moore was dealing with mental health issues.
Here’s the latest on former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore
The report only adds to what allegedly followed Moore’s firing and has an extra layer of shock to what has unfolded in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Moore allegedly broke into the home of his executive assistant, Paige Shiver, with a knife in his hand.
In police audio obtained by The Post, a female caller told 911 dispatch that Moore had a knife and had been stalking her “for months.”
Moore allegedly threatened to harm himself, according to the audio, and eventually fled on foot to a nearby church.
The ex-coach was detained by authorities on Wednesday night, and as of Thursday night, no formal charges had been filed.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
