The University of Michigan launched a national search for its next athletic director Monday, Oct. 26, ahead of Warde Manuel’s scheduled departure at the end of the year.
President-elect C. Cybele Raver and President Domenico Grasso are leading the search, MLive reported. The university hired TurnkeyZRG to identify and vet candidates.
Raver will choose the next athletic director, subject to Board of Regents approval, according to the university statement reported by MLive.
The regents announced Raver as their choice for Michigan’s 17th president in August and formally appointed her Sept. 1. Her term begins Dec. 1, according to the university’s presidential search page.
The university said it seeks a leader with “unquestioned integrity” who will assess the athletic department and guide it through changes in college sports.
TurnkeyZRG’s founder, Len Perna, holds undergraduate and law degrees from Michigan. MLive reported that the firm previously assisted with the university’s hiring of Manuel in 2016, men’s basketball coach Dusty May in 2024 and football coach Kyle Whittingham in December 2025.
The university has established an athletic director search page and named Keisha Blevins, deputy chief of staff and senior human resources adviser in the president’s office, as search liaison.
The public can submit nominations and input to [email protected].
Manuel’s planned departure
Manuel announced in July that he would step down following an independent investigation that identified failures to respond promptly and effectively to allegations of misconduct by athletic department employees, according to MLive.
His resignation is scheduled to take effect Dec. 31. MLive reported that the university agreed to pay him more than $7.1 million under the agreement.
Grasso said the investigation identified interference, inadequate oversight and accountability failures among senior university leaders, according to the same report.
