Michigan AD Warde Manuel says he felt ‘betrayed’ by Sherrone Moore’s actions

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel speaks during a wide-ranging review of the football program following the firing of Sherrone Moore.

An investigation last year found Moore had been involved in “an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” It was later revealed that Moore’s former assistant was part of the affair. The fallout from the scandal left Michigan’s top athletics official feeling “betrayed.”

“I felt betrayed. That’s the best word I can use,” Manuel said. Detroit News.

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Manuel said the situation struck a personal chord and had broader implications for those around the program.

“It was personal, but at the same time, I want to emphasize, it was for a lot of people who were affected by it. … There are a lot of people who claim to be callous and say, ‘Oh, you should have fired him when there were rumors.’ But you can’t fire people based on rumors with no evidence. So when the evidence was presented, there was a sense of betrayal and hurt for everyone who would be involved in the decision.”

FORMER MICHIGAN COACH SHERRONE MOORE RECEIVED PUNISHMENT IN STALKING CASE RESULTING FROM HIS FIRING

Manuel appeared to dodge questions about who initiated the investigation; Is it his decision or the Board of Trustees’ decision? He also pushed back on how the program was portrayed, defending the program’s broader culture.

University of Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore stands next to the school’s athletic director Warde Manuel during a press conference at the Junge Family Champions Center on January 27, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK)

“If that was the direction they wanted to go, it was fine with me,” Warde Manuel said. “What I don’t appreciate… is in the context of an investigation into the culture here. Even though people want to call it out, what I want is for people to understand that 99.9% of the people here are doing things the right way…. We’ve had problems and we’re not perfect, and I don’t know of an organization that doesn’t have problems and people problems.”

Amid speculation about his own role, Manuel recanted the idea that he was under investigation.

Athletic Director Warde Manuel of the Michigan Wolverines walks onto the field before the football game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field on November 15, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire)

“I don’t see it that way, no. Listen, it’s easy for people to say, well, Warde is the leader and so this isn’t just a review, it’s an investigation into what this leader is doing. To me, that’s not what I’m going to take away from this…. And I’m not claiming that I can’t get better…. We’ve had our problems and we deal with them and try to improve every time.”

Manuel refused to weigh in on Sherrone Moore’s sentence, instead voicing his support and 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 sentence itself, but rather a reaction to him as a person. … I want him and everyone else affected to be able to get through this and move forward and learn from it and get better. That’s how I feel. I’m not judging any of the consequences or what he’s going through.”

Moore faced up to five years in prison for trespassing and stalking charges after he was kicked out of Michigan. He escaped from prison after pleading guilty 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.

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