Chris Partridge, now the Seattle Seahawks outside linebackers coach, was asleep Friday morning when his wife, Marissa, started to animatedly push him to wake up. She had just read an email about the NCAA punishments for Michigan regarding an illegal-scouting scheme, and within the 74-page report, there was news her husband needed to see.
Partridge, fired by Michigan in 2023 the day the team was leaving for its final regular-season road game during the undefeated national championship season, had always maintained his innocence despite [allegations he had told a player not to cooperate with the NCAA during its investigation](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2023/11/27/fired-michigan-assistant-chris-partridge-no-knowledge-of-illegal-sign-stealing/71722343007/) of the sign-stealing/illegal-scouting scandal. There were other reports he had destroyed evidence and a computer.
Partridge went before the NCAA Committee on Infractions during a two-day hearing in early June and defended himself and shared his story. On Friday, he was exonerated by the NCAA of any wrongdoing.
“Marissa was yelling and punching me to wake up. She’s like, ‘Read it. It just came out over the email,’ and, yeah, it said I was clear of everything,” Partridge told The Detroit News on Friday.
“She was more excited than me. You don’t realize how much stress this puts on your family. I felt great about it, but I also kind of had faith that it would happen because I didn’t do anything wrong. I always felt that if they actually did a full investigation and looked at everything, then I should be cleared.”
In the lengthy NCAA report highlighting several penalties against Michigan, including, among other things, an enormous fine, Partridge’s alleged involvement to interfere with the NCAA investigation into the impermissible scouting scheme orchestrated by former football staffer Connor Stalions was dismissed. Partridge was also alleged to have violated a recruiting rule.
“Although 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,” the NCAA wrote. “Likewise, the panel did not conclude that Partridge engaged in tryout or inducement violations, thus his denials did not constitute violations.”
While the two-day hearing at NCAA headquarters in June was grueling, Partridge relished the opportunity to share his side.
“It made me feel so much better walking out of it because I felt that someone actually listened,” Partridge said. “I was able to tell my side finally after a year and a half. To have a committee that was not biased actually look at everything and look at the actual, real proof and then make a decision off of it, that in itself was relieving to me.”
Michigan informed Patrtridge in a letter he was terminated because the university said it received evidence he feailed to “abide by the University directive not to discuss an ongoing NCAA investigation with anyone associated with the Michigan Football Program”. The letter also said he will not be rehired by Michigan. That aside, Partridge said he is grateful it is publicly know he did not destroy evidence.
“The thing that bothered me the most was, people saying I was destroying evidence and computers, and all these media members just took it and ran with it with no verification,” he said. “It’s just being made up, and it became gospel.
“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. 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.”
He said he has always loved Michigan, the coaches, the players and the fans. Partridge, who joined former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s staff in Seattle in February 2024, was preparing for Friday night’s preseason game against Kansas City and said he didn’t think there would be time for a celebration considering the team is in the middle of camp.
But he said he’s proud of sticking up for himself throughout this situation.
“At the end of the day, honestly, I feel good that I stood tall through this whole thing,” Partridge said. “I didn’t waver, and I did everything with integrity and then the truth is finally able to come out. I didn’t panic. I just kept pushing forward, and my family supported me, my friends supported me, shoot, the Michigan fans always supported me.
“It’s one of those things that, like, God is good, and it’s like, when it happens, it’s like the worst moment in the world, and you get knocked down and just get up. It’s a great life lesson just being able to not react, keep level-headed and, basically, let the truth come out.”
Originally Published: August 16, 2025 at 9:41 AM EDT