Former Michigan assistant football coach Chris Partridge is suing the Wolverines. Partridge first joined Michigan in 2015 as director of player personnel. The following year, he became the linebackers coach & special teams coordinator.
In 2018, he became the safeties coach & special teams coordinator. After two years in that position, Partridge joined the Ole Miss Rebels as their co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. His last Michigan stint was in 2023 when he became the linebackers coach.
Patridge was hired to coach the team for the 2023 season. However, in November 2023, he was fired for allegedly participating in the destruction of evidence regarding the University of Michigan football sign-stealing scandal.
When the investigation into the matter concluded, Partridge was cleared of wrongdoing. He has since moved on in his career. Partridge joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 as outside linebackers coach and was part of the Super Bowl-winning run this year.
However, he’s now suing the university, its board of trustees, and athletic director Warde Manuel in federal court for wrongful termination. Since Partridge was cleared of wrongdoing after the investigation, he believes he has grounds to take action against Michigan.
He has filed a 46-page complaint in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging that he was made the “scapegoat” in the scandal.
“The lawsuit alleges Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti ‘presented [Michigan athletic director Warde] Manuel with uncorroborated, second-hand, inflammatory information’ that Partridge had told an unnamed student-athlete to ‘not be forthright with information’ when speaking with NCAA investigators,” ESPN reported.
As of now, Michigan and the Big Ten have declined to comment on the matter, as per ESPN.
Chris Partridge Denied ‘Destroyed Evidence’ Allegations Against Him
At the time when the scandal was exposed, local and national news organizations, citing their unnamed sources, claimed that Partridge had “destroyed evidence” in the matter. The former Michigan coach is denying all such claims.
Partridge has stated that there was no evidence to be destroyed and that he didn’t do what he’s been accused of.
“A Michigan football player approached Partridge, told him he was nervous about his upcoming interview with the NCAA, and asked for advice,” Partridge’s lawsuit says. “Partridge … advised him to speak with his parents about getting a lawyer and to just be honest with the NCAA.”
Partridge stated that he believes the truth will come out. He wishes to get his name cleared so that he can return to coaching college football.
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