Michigan Fans Create Petition To Fire AD Warde Manuel After Jim Harbaugh Leaves For NFL

Have you ever seen a college football fan base call for its athletic director to be fired less than a month after winning a national championship?

Well, there’s a first time for everything.

After Jim Harbaugh spurned his alma mater in favor of the NFL, Michigan Wolverines fans have created a petition in order to dismiss AD Warde Manuel.

“Warde Manuel has single-handedly botched multiple situations for the University of Michigan during his tenure, and his current handling of retaining Coach Jim Harbaugh in the University‘s most profitable and valuable athletic program could cause disastrous results,” the petition reads.

“His shortcomings have led to the departure of some of Michigan’s most prominent and successful coaches, Erik Bakich and John Beilien, and he has done nothing to address concerns from other athletic programs, I.e swimming facilities, refusal to collaborate or support NIL programs, etc.

“These concerning failures are putting the University of Michigan behind the times in their collegiate sports and are threatening to completely dismantle and disrupt the amazing success that Michigan’s athletic programs have achieved. It’s time to move on from Warde and his damaging oversights.”

Seems harsh.

Manuel and Michigan have had some issues. The basketball program is a mess. And the Wolverines are reportedly behind the times in the NIL space.

But they just won a national championship in football! The one thing Wolverines fans have been pining for for over a quarter century!

Now, Harbaugh hasn’t done much to help Manuel’s case.

The two reportedly butt heads on several occasions.

And Harbaugh took several of his national title-winning assistants with him to the Los Angeles Chargers.

But the timing of the petition still seems wild. And it’s hard to imagine the university ousting Manuel regardless of how many people sign.