Michigan head football coach detained hours after firing for ‘inappropriate relationship’ with staff member
University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore was arrested just hours after being fired for having an “inappropriate relationship.”
Moore, 39, was arrested Wednesday by police in Saline, Michigan. He was then turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for “investigation into potential charges,” the Saline Police Department said in a statement to ESPN.
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It is not clear what the investigation is about.
Earlier Wednesday, Moore was fired “with cause” after a University of Michigan investigation found “credible evidence” that the coach “engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” the school said in a statement shared by multiple media outlets.
University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore was arrested just hours after being fired for having an ‘inappropriate relationship’ (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“This conduct constitutes a flagrant violation of University policy, and UM maintains zero tolerance for such behavior,” the University of Michigan said.
The Independent contacted the Pittsfield Township Police Department and the University of Michigan for comment.
This was only Moore’s second season as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He received the title in January 2024 after six years as a member of the offensive staff. He was the first African-American head coach at the University of Michigan.
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Moore has a wife whom he has been married to since 2015 and three daughters.
This was only Moore’s second season as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Associate coach Biff Poggi has been named interim head football coach at the University of Michigan.
The Michigan Wolverines finished the regular season at 9-3 and will play a game against the Texas Longhorns in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on December 31.
Dave Portnoy, founder of sports media and pop culture company Barstool Sports, praised the University of Michigan’s decision to fire Moore.
“Seriously, over the years, many schools have looked the other way in the face of scandals. I would just like to say that I am proud that Michigan refused to do the same,” Portnoy wrote on X on Wednesday.
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“Sherrone broke the moral code and it cost him his job. It’s a hard lesson but it’s the Michigan Man Way. Leaders and best for a reason. Proud to be a Michigan Wolverine tonight.”
Associate coach Biff Poggi has been named interim head football coach at the University of Michigan (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Moore was also part of a sign-stealing scandal, which resulted in record fines expected to exceed $20 million levied by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on the University of Michigan.
Sign theft occurs when a sports team decodes an opponent’s hand signals. The NCAA prohibits schools from sending scouts to opponents’ future games and from using electronic equipment to record signals.
Moore was handed a three-game suspension for his role in the draft, which he was supposed to complete next year. Reports of the NCAA investigation surfaced early in the 2023 season, when Moore was working under Jim Harbaugh.
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The Michigan Wolverines came into their own in the 2023 season, winning the College Football Playoff national championship in a game against the Washington Huskies.
Poggi successfully led the Michigan Wolverines for two games this year while Moore was suspended.
This is a developing story…
