Another football season has gone by, and with it another scandal in the University of Michigan Athletic Department. Michigan likes to pride itself on the virtues and goodness of being a “Michigan Man”…..but I think they had better rethink that hubris…..it has become a mockery under the leadership of Warde Manuel, the athletic director.
The firing of Sherrone Moore is just the latest in a series of incidents and violations under Warde Manuel. Warde Manuel is a “Michigan Man” through and through. He played defensive tackle under Bo Schembechler. But, his version of the “Michigan Man” has done nothing but bring shame to this great University. You would think that after this mess, and others I will catalog later, that Michigan’s President and board of Regents would get rid of this embarrassment. Looks like they have finally had enough of Sherrone Moore, but the Athletic Director? The guy who has scandal after scandal? Nothing. Warde Manuel needs to go……and quickly!
In February of 2022, Juwan Howard struck Joe Krabbenhoft of Wisconsin in the face. Howard was suspended the the final games of the regular season, and fined $40,000. Did Manuel fire him? NO, but put him under a zero-tolerance policy! August 2022, Michigan’s Hockey coach, Mel Peterson was accused of telling players to provide false information about COVID-19 contract tracing forms, deceiving recruits on how much scholarship money they would receive, and allegedly calling one player a Jew.
An investigation was done and found Pearson showed an “inability or unwillingness” to hold the team’s director of Hockey operations responsible, and included the “mistreatment of female Staff members”. In October-November of 2023, the “Sign Stealing” scandal occurred. We all know about that one! Harbaugh was suspended, and numerous coaches suspended. Harbaugh returned for the last 3 games to lead Michigan to a very tainted National Title, their first since 1997.
In 2025, Harbaugh was given 10 years where he could not coach in college again, and Conor Stalions got 8 years, and Michigan was fined around 30 million dollars.
In December of 2023-2024, Juwan Howard, again, had an “altercation” with a longtime assistant and strength coach, Jon Sanderson. Sanderson filed a complaint with human resources and was returned to full-time coaching. Howard was finally fired ONLY after Michigan went 8-24.
In May of this year, Michigan suspended Moore for the sign-stealing scandal. However, that was a self-imposed penalty, and Moore did not coach 2 games against Central Michigan and Nebraska. Some penalty, huh??
And now this….Moore and his mistress, police arrests, and still more to come. But yet, the real “Michigan Man” Warde Manuel, who has overseen these disasters, is still there, and I understand he received a vote of confidence from Michigan’s Regents, or at least that is what is being reported. WHY?
For a program that claims excellence and leadership, a school nationally and internationally known, why would you put up with this amount of scandal? It would seem to me that all that matters at the U. of M. is trophies, that’s it. Whatever it takes to win is not too low for Michigan. That is sad. This is not the Michigan I knew as a high school student.
Although I was an Ohio State fan, I rooted for Michigan too because I had a lot of friends who were Wolverines. I went to quite a few Michigan games in Ann Arbor and loved the school and its fans. This kind of thing wouldn’t have happened to Bo Schembechler and Don Canham, the A.D. They were honorable men. Warde Manuel is not. He has allowed bad coaching hires to go on and humiliate the University…….and yet, he is still there!
Maybe the University and its coaches I used to admire have been replaced by mediocre people who only care about winning, and ethics be-damned. That is so sad, and the really sad part is it will continue until Michigan realizes they have an A.D. who doesn’t care about honor, discipline, and what Michigan used to stand for…..Integrity.
That’s the way I see it…..from the sidelines!
