Former Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge sues university over firing

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge sued the university, its board of regents and its athletics director Wednesday for firing him in 2023 while the NCAA investigated allegations of in-person scouting and sign-stealing.

Partridge’s lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Michigan argues that his “termination was wholly unjustified and without legitimate cause,” saying that the school violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process.

“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,” the lawsuit said.

Michigan did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment. The Big Ten declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Partridge was fired from Michigan in November 2023 as the NCAA investigated allegations that former university staffer Connor Stalions purchased tickets to scout the school’s opponents and sent people to those games to record teams signaling in their plays. In-person scouting is banned by the NCAA. Stalions resigned earlier that month.

In 2025, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions determined that Stalions had orchestrated a scouting scheme for years. It also found recruiting violations and fined the school millions of dollars. Partridge was largely cleared of any wrongdoing.

But just after Partridge’s firing, rumors swirled about why he was let go. He took to social media at the time to say that he had no knowledge of any scouting scheme and that he was fired for failing to abide by the school’s directive to avoid discussing the inquiry with “anyone associated with the program.”

“Additionally, at no point did I destroy any evidence related to the ongoing investigation,” he had said in an online post.

Partridge went on to serve as outside linebackers coach for the Seattle Seahawks, helping them clinch a Super Bowl win last month.

The lawsuit states that Partridge was told by the university that he was fired for telling a player that he should “get an attorney,” despite being instructed not to communicate with the athletes during the investigation.

Partridge confirmed that he did say that to a player. But, he said in the lawsuit, the football staff was never told to stop communication with players, which would have caused the football program to “come to a screeching halt.”

“Partridge was a scapegoat who was wrongly fired simply because he told a player he had the right to have counsel,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also said that the school smeared his reputation, including when some athletics department employees and at least one Board of Regents member told a sportswriter that Partridge was fired for “destroying evidence.” That information was then reported by several news organizations, including the AP, which cited reporting by Yahoo Sports that Partridge “allegedly tried to cover up evidence.”

Partridge was fired just before the Wolverines became football national champions. One day after he was fired, the school and the Big Ten Conference agreed that then head coach Jim Harbaugh would serve the final two games of his three-game suspension in return for the conference ending its investigation into the sign-stealing allegations.

The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial, along with clearing Partridge’s name and reputation.