Michigan is shelling out a staggering $7.14 million in a lump sum payment to former athletic director Warde Manuel as part of his separation agreement. This massive payout comes after Manuel agreed to step down from his post earlier this month, effective at the end of 2026, following an investigation into the scandal swirling around former football coach Sherrone Moore. It’s a wild amount of cash for someone leaving the top job.
The Price Tag and the Perks
Seriously, $7.14 million just to separate? That’s not all. Manuel is also getting all the standard former athletic director perks from the university, which includes game tickets and golf privileges. Plus, they are dropping more than $100,000 into his retirement account and even covering his attorney fees. Talk about a golden parachute. Manuel, a Michigan football alum, was hired as AD back in 2016. He definitely had some huge wins, overseeing national championships in football in 2023 and men’s basketball just this year. He had a solid five-year extension running through 2030, and his contract apparently required a hefty 36 months of severance pay if there was a buyout. So yeah, the money makes sense, but it still feels like a lot for a departure.
A Legacy of Both Trophies and Trouble
While there were those big-time championships, Manuel’s tenure was also plagued by a few high-profile scandals. First, there was former football coach Jim Harbaugh, who got caught up in recruiting infractions and that wild, large-scale sign-stealing scandal. And then the situation that seemed to be the last straw: Sherrone Moore. Moore was arrested by police and then fired by Michigan in December after an alleged inappropriate relationship with a staff member. It got even heavier when Moore was charged with felony home invasion, among other things, and he had to take a plea deal earlier this year just to avoid jail time. Michigan has already brought in Kyle Whittingham to take over the football program, trying to turn the page there.
Manuel’s official personnel record will show a resignation, and he’s free to go take on work outside the Big Ten conference without any penalty. But there’s a catch: he’s agreed to not be an athletic director or a senior athletic adviser for any Big Ten school for the next two years. That’s a pretty specific restriction, right? It just shows you how much this whole situation is costing Michigan, both in cash and in public image.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply