Michigan AD Warde Manuel knew of Sherrone Moore-Paige Shiver relationship 1 year before firing

Key Points:

• A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals that Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel and university officials were warned multiple times about former football coach Sherrone Moore’s inappropriate relationship with Paige Shiver well before his December firing, contradicting claims of a swift response.
• The law firm Jenner & Block, hired to investigate the athletic department’s culture, found the university’s response to allegations insufficient and unclear in terms of who managed reports of misconduct; the university has not released the full report and has no plans to do so.
• Despite early concerns raised in August 2024 and additional reports of misconduct over the following year, Moore remained head coach until Shiver formally reported the relationship in December, leading to his dismissal.
• The report also exposes broader compliance failures in the athletic department, including structural issues with oversight and unimplemented recommendations from a prior sexual misconduct review, amid ongoing controversies under Manuel’s leadership.
• Shiver has filed a lawsuit accusing the university of withholding records related to the case, and both she and Moore’s attorneys have called for public release of the full investigation, while Manuel maintains confidence in his tenure despite mounting scrutiny.