Why did Michigan fire Sherrone Moore? Latest news on Wolverines' stunning coaching change

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Why did Michigan fire Sherrone Moore? Latest news on Wolverines' stunning coaching change

Why did Michigan fire Sherrone Moore? Latest news on Wolverines' stunning coaching change originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Michigan has fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause, per a report.

ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the news on Wednesday afternoon. The news comes shortly after Michigan's early signing period, as Moore was just finishing up his second season with the Wolverines.  

BENDER:Sherrone Moore firing creates 4 major questions for Michigan

Why did Michigan fire Sherrone Moore? 

According to the school, the firing comes amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a UM staffer. 

UM athletic director released a statement after reports came out. Manuel added that More's conduct is a clear violation of university policy, and the school has "zero tolerance" for such behavior. 

On Thursday night, Michigan's president, Domenico Grasco, released a statement, saying "There is absolutely no tolerance for this conduct at the University of Michigan. None."

Moore had just finished his second season as Michigan's head coach, finishing with an 18-8 record. The Wolverines lost 27-9 to Ohio State to finish 9-3 on the season. Moore has been married to his wife, Kelli Moore since 2015. The couple shares three daughters together.  

Beyond his suspension earlier in the 2025 season, Moore had faced two prior penalties: a one-game ban for the 2023 season opener stemming from recruiting violations, and an outstanding one-game suspension tied to the sign-stealing investigation that was scheduled for the first game of the 2026 season.

MORE: Who is Biff Poggi? What to know about Michigan's interim head coach

Sherrone Moore 911 call

TMZ has released audio of a 911 tape, allegedly tied to Moore's arrest on Wednesday. On the tape, you can hear the dispatcher say that a woman on location was "being attacked," and that the man at the location has "been stalking her for months." 

#EXCLUSIVE 😳 TMZ Sports has obtained dispatch audio stemming from the alleged Sherrone Moore assault. https://t.co/F75acyiGiepic.twitter.com/d12cGW9DcQ

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) December 11, 2025

TMZ released an extended clip of the audio later Wednesday, where the dispatcher is heard describing a call from "S1's wife" in Ann Arbor saying that the suspect is "suicidal for losing his job today." The dispatcher added that S1 walked out with a knife, and that a U of M detective was on the way. 

Latest Sherrone Moore arrest updates

4:03 p.m.: NBC's Nicole Auerbach reported on Thursday afternoon that Michigan was aware of Moore's mental health issues, but Warde Manuel fired him without any HR reps or security guards present.

Hours after his firing, Moore was arrested and is currently in protective custody. 

1:34 p.m.: According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, who initially reported Moore's firing, Michigan did have an initial investigation into the head coach's alleged misconduct.

That investigation didn't yield anything, but in "very recent days," credible information emerged that was "overwhelming in nature." Per Thamel, who appeared on the Pat McAfee show on Thursday, that changed the investigation, which ultimately led to his firing: 

12:26 p.m.: Per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Moore is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on Friday, Dec. 12: 

11:20 a.m.: According to ESPN's Dan Wetzel, no decision on charges stemming from Moore's arrest by police is expected on Thursday. Moore remains in custody, and is still being actively investigated by police: 

According to Wetzel, Moore was detained by police in Saline, Mich. on Wednesday evening. 

No charges have been filed at this time, and it is obviously unknown if the incident is related to his dismissal by Michigan Wednesday afternoon.

ESPN additionally reported on Wednesday evening that Moore was jailed as a "suspect in an alleged assault."

According to Tony Paul of the Detroit News, Moore remains in the Washtenaw County jail as of Wednesday evening, per court records.

Here's more from Paul's original reporting: 

Moore was detained by police Wednesday afternoon and was in custody in the Washtenaw County Jail as of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to online court records. He was booked at 8:30 p.m., according to court records.

Saline police chief Marlene Radzik confirmed to The News earlier Wednesday that nearby Pittsfield Township's police department was handling a complaint involving Moore. After 10 p.m. Wednesday, Pittsfield Township police confirmed it handled an assault investigation, without naming Moore. Police said the investigation began around 4:10 p.m., minutes before UM announced Moore's firing.

In a statement to the media, Pittsfield police chief Patrick Gray stated that "the incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community." 

He added that an investigation is ongoing. Saline, Mich. lies about 9.5 miles south of Ann Arbor. 

MORE:Michigan's best coaching replacements for Sherrone Moore

What does 'fired for cause' mean?

Firing him for cause means the school has a legitimate reason to dismiss Moore. In this case, an inappropriate relationship with a staff member likely resulted in a breach of contract, allowing the school to terminate him without paying a buyout.

There are various clauses within a head coach's contract that subject coaches to firing for cause. Oftentimes, the coach is contractually obligated to represent the university with high standards. Michigan State fire Mel Tucker in 2023 after an investigation revealed that he sexually assaulted a Title IX advocate, Brenda Tracy, who previously spoke to the MSU football program. The Spartans had to vacate 14 wins under Tucker earlier this year.  

There is a chance that firing Moore for cause means the school would not have to pay him his buyout of $13,897,916.

Who is Michigan's interim coach?

Michigan's interim head coach is former Charlotte head coach Biff Poggi. The longtime Michigan staffer had coached under Jim Harbaugh and re-joined Moore's staff midseason.

When Moore was suspended earlier in the 2025 season, Poggi took over for two games and led the Wolverines to a 2-0 record. Combined with his tenure at Charlotte, Poggi has an 8-16 career record as a head coach.

While Poggi will man the Wolverines for now, leading the coaching search is athletic director Warde Manuel, who remains in the position after a Michigan board member call on Thursday.

Despite contrary reports, Warde Manuel remains the Michigan athletic director as the school begins a search for its next coach, per @RossDellenger.

Michigan board members and university officials held a call earlier today that was related to the situation following Sherrone… pic.twitter.com/M730wZLXRN

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 11, 2025

The Wolverines are set to take on Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. 

MORE MICHIGAN NEWS:

Sherrone Moore Michigan record

In two years as Michigan head coach, Moore finished with a record of 18-8. He was 16-8 in his two-year tenure as the official head coach, with two additional wins coming as acting head coach when Jim Harbaugh was suspended.

He led the Wolverines to an 8-5 record (5-4 Big Ten) in his first full season, a campaign defined by two monumental victories. Moore secured a fourth consecutive win over No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus and followed it by defeating Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Michigan also won all four of its rivalry trophy games that year.

In 2025, Michigan finished the regular season 9-3 and will face Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. The Wolverines’ three losses all came against ranked opponents — No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 16 USC and No. 1 Ohio State — and they managed just two total touchdowns across those games.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated. 

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