The Warde Manuel days at Michigan seem to officially be numbered. After reports surfaced over the weekend that the Michigan Board of Regents has a meeting scheduled for Thursday to discuss numerous topics, one being the future of athletic director Warde Manuel.
The reports indicated that his days are numbered, and it seems to be confirmed that Michigan is planning to buy out the rest of Manuel's contract, and the expectation is that he will accept it.
Others have reported what I have waited for my sources to confirm: Michigan is preparing a buy-out for AD Warde Manuel, which he is expected to accept. Some version of the investigation UM commissioned into the department is likely to be released by the end of the week, too.
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) July 13, 2026
Warde Manuel's time at Michigan may not be remembered fondly
Manuel has been at the center of a couple of scandals that have hit Michigan in the last few years, from sign-stealing with the 2023 National Championship team to former football coach Sherrone Moore having an inappropriate relationship with an assistant. While many have called for his job, it seems now Michigan is finally making the decision to move on from Manuel.
While there have been some upsides to Manuel's tenure at Michigan, most notably winning football and men's basketball national championships, but also bringing in Kyle Whittingham after the Moore scandal to lead the football team, and the hiring of Dusty May two years ago, it can't erase the downsides. Manuel also allowed May, who recently won a National Championship with Michigan, to walk a few weeks ago, taking the Dallas Mavericks head coach position.
It was reported that Manuel never got May's contract extension signed after it was announced in April, resulting in a lower buyout for May to pay. Now, Michigan will be on the hunt for a new athletic director.
What is Warde Manuel's buyout at Michigan?
The buyout of an athletic director is similar to that of a head coach, but has its differences as well. For Michigan, they will offer the buyout to Manuel, which may make it seem like a decision to mutually part ways, but let's face it, he is being pushed out by the university.
Michigan will negotiate the terms of his exit and compile a suitable buyout for his time with the Wolverines. While the buyout hasn't been released, Warde signed an extension back in December 2024, keeping him in Ann Arbor through June 2030. The extension upped Manuel's annual payment to $2 million and featured a buyout provision that requires the university to pay him 36 months' severance.
Doing the math, that would mean Michigan could owe Manuel $3.5 million, but the two sides could negotiate an alternate settlement. In terms of buyouts, that is not the worst one seen in any sort of sports.
The terms of the buyout will most likely be released once negotiations are done, and Manuel has officially departed from Michigan. Manuel's time will end with him signing interim basketball coach Mike Boynton to a two-year deal, removing his interim title after he retained nearly the entire Michigan roster after the Dusty May exit.
Stay tuned for an official announcement about the future of Manuel at Michigan later this week.
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