Former Michigan Coach Chris Partridge Breaks Silence On His Firing
ANN ARBOR, MI - APRIL 01: Defensive Coordinator Steve Clinkscale, Special Teams Coordinator Jay Harbaugh and Linebackers Coach Chris Partridge look on during the fourth quarter of the Michigan Football spring game at Michigan Stadium on April 1, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
Former Michigan football assistant coach Chris Partridge has finally commented on his firing amid the ongoing sign stealing investigation.
In a statement released on Twitter Monday, Partridge said he wanted to wait until Michigan beat Ohio State before speaking out.
He then went on to say that reporting about his dismissal has been "inaccurate" and has "resulted in people speculating and making assumptions about my knowledge of, and connection to, the sign-stealing allegations within the football program."
"I want to be clear: I had no knowledge whatsoever of any in-person or illegal scouting, or illegal sign stealing. Additionally, at no point did I destroy any evidence related to an ongoing investigation," Partridge said.
Partridge was fired on Nov. 17 after less than one full season back at Michigan as linebackers coach. He had previously served on Jim Harbaugh's staff in a variety of roles from 2015-19 before a three-year stint at Ole Miss.
At the time, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel reported that Partridge was unaware of former Michigan analyst Connor Stalions' sign-stealing scheme but "participated in the destruction of evidence on a computer after the scandal broke."
Partridge, however, says he was let go due to a "failure to abide by the University directive not to discuss an ongoing NCAA investigation with anyone associated with the Michigan Football Program."
After capping off a 12-0 regular season with Saturday's win over Ohio State, Michigan will go for its third-straight Big Ten title against Iowa this Saturday.
