Warde Manuel warned Sherrone Moore about journey with assistant in 2024

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel appeared to have issues a few relationship that value former Wolverines soccer coach Sherrone Moore his job and prompted a multi-million secretive investigation sooner than beforehand acknowledged, in line with The Wall Street Journal and Free Press sources.

On Tuesday, July 14, the Journal reported Manuel advised Moore in 2024 his govt assistant Paige Shiver − with whom Moore had a longstanding affair − couldn’t go on official journeys with the coach.

“I told him I didn’t remember if we had already discussed, but that she couldn’t accompany him on trips,” the report signifies Manuel wrote in a Aug. 29, 2024, handwritten word.

While the excerpt of the word doesn’t explicitly state Moore was advised Shiver couldn’t accompany him on journeys due to their romantic relationship, the Journal signifies it’s proof Manuel “raised concerns with Moore about the coach’s close relationship.”

University leaders discovered of this word and extra particulars when just lately briefed by investigators with Jenner & Block, a Chicago-based regulation agency paid almost $12 million by the college, an insider advised the Free Press. A separate Free Press supply stated Shiver often traveled with Moore and the workforce.

A just lately up to date federal lawsuit filed by a former soccer coach additionally says Manuel and different leaders allegedly knew about Moore’s relationship with Shiver “for years without taking action to protect the employee.” 

Publicly, Manuel has denied having any direct information of Moore’s affair till he fired the coach in December 2025. Manuel has repeatedly defended his actions, saying the division took swift motion as soon as confirming the affair.

[ U-M hid evidence of cheating in football, ex-coach’s lawsuit says ]

On Wednesday, Moore’s lawyer declined to say whether or not Manuel advised the coach to not journey with Shiver in 2024.

“Until the University of Michigan publicly releases the Jenner & Block report and issues its official statement, we have no comment on selective excerpts or summaries of an unpublished report. Mr. Moore’s criminal case has been adjudicated and concluded,” lawyer Ellen Ok. Michaels stated in a press release.

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In a separate report published Tuesday by The Athletic, gamers and staffers had been stated to have raised issues concerning the relationship throughout preseason camp in 2024. It went on to say there was a grievance filed to human assets with reference to Moore and Shiver understanding collectively within the workforce facility.

Moore and Shiver each denied any relationship when probed by the athletic division throughout U-M’s inner investigation, and Manuel says there was no concrete proof of the connection till Shiver modified her story in December 2025, admitting to the affair, which led to Moore’s firing.

“If there’s no evidence, there’s no evidence,” Manuel stated Tuesday, alluding to the scenario throughout an look on WTKA-AM 1050. “All we can do is look for the evidence that exists.”

Also on Tuesday, two individuals advised the Free Press talks to purchase Manuel out of his contract are underway.

In December 2024, Manuel signed a deal that runs by June 2030 that pays him an annual base wage of least $1.9 million, with as much as $500,000 yearly in deferred funds.

University spokesman Paul Corliss declined to touch upon the Journal report. The college has refused to launch any findings or underlying paperwork from the personal agency’s investigation, saying hiding the information “preserves the integrity of the investigative process, protects the privacy of those who participated and helps safeguard those individuals from potential retaliation.”

Shiver’s legal professionals just lately sued the college for the investigative information, saying the college is violating Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act by withholding them.

Michigan’s Board of Regents are schedule to satisfy on Thursday in Traverse City, however there isn’t any point out of the investigation or of Manuel’s future listed on the agenda that was made public earlier within the week. One particular person with information of the scenario advised the Free Press there isn’t any expectation for the board to handle the matter, however the president will doubtless present some kind of remark updating the standing of the investigation. Still, officers will not be anticipated to launch any of the findings in the course of the assembly.

“The university will determine the appropriate time and manner to communicate the results of the athletics investigation and any actions taken in response to its findings in the near future,” Corliss stated in an emailed assertion Tuesday.

The Moore scenario is way from the one supply of doable tradition points inside the athletic division. The just lately up to date federal lawsuit filed by former soccer coach Chris Partridge additionally accuses Manuel and former college President Santa Ono of hiding “evidence of cheating” from the regents and NCAA regulators discovered by the regulation agency.

Lawyers for the college and Manuel beforehand requested a federal decide to dismiss an earlier model of the lawsuit.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat author for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and observe him on X at @ActualTonyGarcia. Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com.