Former Jim Harbaugh Assistant Sues Michigan Over 2023 Firing Linked to Sign-Stealing Scandal

The controversy clouds seemed to have made a home above Ann Arbor. Three years after the sign-stealing scandal rocked Michigan football’s reputation, a former coach decided to retaliate against the program for the injustice he felt he had suffered. Chris Partridge, the linebackers coach in former head coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff, plans to take the Wolverines to court.

Chris Partridge has filed a lawsuit against the University of Michigan, the board of trustees, and Athletic Director Warde Manuel. He alleged in a 46-page complaint that he was made a “scapegoat” when he was fired in the wake of the investigation into the scandal. However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the NCAA.

Partridge’s suit claimed that Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti gave Manuel “uncorroborated, second-hand, inflammatory information” about the coach. Petitti claimed that Partridge drove a player to not be “forthright” with the NCAA investigation. But the latter claimed in his suit that the player had only approached him out of concern surrounding the investigation, and Partridge told him to get a lawyer.

The coach also argued that Petitti used this as a threat while Jim Harbaugh was in the midst of an injunction hearing regarding his suspension. Additionally, multiple publications had reported that Chris Partridge had removed evidence linked to the scandal. He was the first person to be fired from Michigan when the scandal broke out. However, when the NCAA announced its verdict, Partridge was the only coach who was able to catch a break. But after a treatment like that, anyone can have bad blood with their former employers.

“I went all the way through the process with the NCAA and the truth prevailed,” Partridge told ESPN. “And I feel I have to go all the way through the process with Michigan for the truth with Michigan to prevail.”

Partridge told The Detroit News in 2025 that he was interrogated by the NCAA for two days during this investigation. However, as tough as it was, it was also equally relieving for him, because he continued to maintain his innocence about the sign-stealing scandal. Partridge had a better experience with the NCAA because it was “someone [who] actually listened” to his side of the story.

“I always tried to do everything with integrity and now I am getting dragged through the mud because of a knee-jerk reaction to terminate me,” he said after the NCAA verdict. “I had to live with all those things for a year and a half. I’m just relieved that I can now restore my reputation. People will see I did nothing, and I got cleared of everything.”

Chris Partridge is now with the Seahawks, winning the Super Bowl with them for the 2025 season. But behind the scenes, he has ardently been trying to clear the blot on his image. Because somewhere down the line, Partridge wants to redeem himself in the arena he was shunned.

Chris Partridge still feels the pull for coaching in college

Partridge’s resume was a good one in college football. But his firing made it impossible for him to find another home. Thankfully, he was able to find some steady ground by landing the NFL job, and he’s done pretty well in it. However, he still has a desire to make a return to college football sidelines.

“My passion is to be a head college coach,” he told ESPN. “That has always been a dream of mine. I’m not going to give up on that just because other people made bad decisions.”

Partridge created a name for himself during his five-season stint with Paramus Catholic High School. As head coach, he led the team to back-to-back Non-Public Group 4 state titles in 2012 and 2013. The school’s motto, “Livin,” is Partridge’s brainchild. It still echoes through the school today. He was quickly rising up the ranks in the football coaching landscape, landing in Michigan in 2015 as Director of Player Personnel. In 2019, he became the safeties and special teams coordinator. He also got to be co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss for three seasons.

Had he spent some more time in college football, he would have had a shot at bagging a head coach role sometime in the near future. But thanks to his struggle with the NCAA and Michigan, Partridge’s dream became more elusive. If he wins this lawsuit, he will finally be vindicated for all the trouble he had to face at his former home.

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