A former University of Michigan football coach is suing the school, its athletic director, Warde Manuel, and the Board of Regents for wrongful termination, claiming he was scapegoated in the sign-stealing scandal of 2023.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Chris Partridge filed a suit on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging Michigan “unjustly terminated Partridge’s employment and spread false and damaging information regarding his professional conduct."
Partridge, who was fired in November 2023, went on to win a Super Bowl as an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks. He is represented by attorney Elizabeth Abdnour of East Lansing-based Abdnour Weiker LLP and is seeking an undisclosed amount of money for damages.
The Free Press recently obtained the 47-page document, which claims the university failed to provide due process, which led to "subsequent devastation to Partridge's outstanding reputation as a football coach."
As reported by Tony Garcia of the Free Press, the complaint continues to state despite Partridge being cleared by an NCAA report that stated there was insufficient evidence that interfered with the investigation, he's "never been able to rectify the harm that Michigan’s wrongful termination, the media firestorm against him, and Manuel’s subsequent blacklisting have caused to his career."
The report says Partridge believes he can't coach in college football because of this, Garcia reported.
The suit says Partridge was used as a "scapegoat" after he told a player it might be wise to get an attorney − the suit specifies Partridge "does not deny" he had that conversation with a player. The suit says there was never a directive given not to communicate with a student-athlete during an investigation, which says any such directive would've "brought [the season] to a screeching halt if none of the coaches could talk to any of the players until the NCAA investigation was concluded."
The NCAA released an in-depth report in August 2025 which handed down a number of penalties to Michigan, including fines up to $30 million, probation and recruiting sanctions. In addition, a number of staffers who were given show causes.
Related: AD: Sign-Stealing Fines Will Cost University of Michigan More Than $30M
The NCAA concluded that while "questions remain about Partridge’s knowledge of the impermissible scouting scheme, there is insufficient information to reasonably conclude that Partridge attempted to influence a student-athlete to lie about it to the enforcement staff."
Partridge was in his fifth season with the Wolverines at the time of his termination.
"Contrary to misinformation communicated by the University Athletics Department and at least one member of the Board of Regents Partridge’s termination, Partridge was not fired for destroying evidence or interfering with the NCAA’s “sign-stealing” investigation," the suit states, as reported by the Free Press. "Nor was Partridge fired for telling a player to be dishonest in an NCAA interview.
"Despite Partridge’s unwavering commitment and success, the University of Michigan unjustly terminated Partridge’s employment and spread false and damaging information regarding his professional conduct, tarnishing Partridge’s hard-earned reputation and inflicting irreparable harm on to his career and personal well-being."
