The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 BY CHRIS BALAS I n a s h o c k i n g d eve l o p m e n t , Michigan fired head football coach Sherrone Moore for cause Dec. 10 after an investigation concluded he'd violated university pol- icy by engaging in an inappropriate re- lationship with a staff member. Michigan director of athletics Warde Manuel announced the decision via a press release late that day, stunning the college football universe. "U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately," Manuel said. "Following a university investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate re- lationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of university policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior." Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi was elevated to interim head coach "effective immediately." Moore arrived at Michigan in 2018 as tight ends coach and moved to co- offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2021. He became the sole of- fensive coordinator on staff in 2023 and also served as acting head coach while Harbaugh served a suspension from the Big Ten as the result of a sign-stealing scandal. Michigan went 3-0 during that time and won another game while Har- baugh served a separate suspension. In 2024, Harbaugh left for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, which led Michi- gan to make Moore the full-time head coach. The Wolverines went 8-5 during his first year at the helm, including a victory over Ohio State in "The Game" and a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Ala- bama to close out the season. Stunningly, shortly after his release, Moore was arrested by the Pittsfield Township police department on criminal charges after allegedly entering the staff member's house uninvited and threaten- ing to harm himself in front of her. "The City of Saline Police Depart- ment assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore," Saline Police said in a statement to ESPN. "Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Town- ship Police Department for investiga- tion into potential charges." The official list of those charges, per the Washtenaw County prosecutors' office: • Home Invasion in the third degree, in violation of MCL 750.110a(4), for al- legedly unlawfully entering the victim's residence to commit the crime of stalk- ing, and committing that crime while in the residence. Home Invasion in the third degree is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,000 fine. • Stalking, in violation of MCL 750.411h, for allegedly engaging in a will- ful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of the victim. Stalking is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. • Breaking and Entering or Enter- ing Without Breaking, in violation of MCL 750.115(2), for allegedly unlawfully entering the dwelling of a victim with whom Mr. Moore had a dating relation- ship. A violation of this statute is a mis- UGLY EXIT Sherrone Moore Fired As Michigan Head Coach, Later Arrested Moore complied a 17-8 record in two seasons at the helm of the Wolverines before his Dec. 10 fir- ing and subsequent arrest on criminal charges. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL