ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Sherrone Moore began Wednesday as Michigan’s head football coach preparing the team for the Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl but ended the day unemployed and a suspect in an alleged assault.
The university fired Moore on Wednesday afternoon with cause after an investigation found he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
The Wolverines named Biff Poggi, who went 2-0 as acting head coach in 2025 with Moore suspended, as interim head coach as the school begins a search for a replacement immediately. Meanwhile, the fallout from Moore’s termination appears far from over. Here’s everything we know from his abrupt firing to his subsequent arrest.
Moore jailed in Washtenaw County
The 39-year-old was listed as an inmate at the Washtenaw County Jail as of 10 p.m. Wednesday. According to a report from ESPN, Moore was initially detained by police in Saline and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”
Moore was involved in an alleged assault shortly after 4 p.m. in the 3000 block of Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Pittsfield Township, according to authorities. Pittsfield Township police released a statement saying a suspect was taken into custody following the incident but declined to name Moore as the culprit. Michigan announced Moore’s firing at 4:43 p.m.
“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the department wrote. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”
Why was Moore fired?
Michigan found “credible evidence” that Moore, who is married with three daughters, engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member – a “clear violation” of university policy. His firing marks the end of his two-year stint as head coach – the shortest for a Wolverines head coach since the 1920s.
The team finished 17-8 during his time as head coach, although he was suspended for two games this season for his role in the program’s sign-stealing operation. There are no public details about the inappropriate relationship that led to his firing.
Moore’s firing sent shockwaves across college football and comes during an ill-timed period on the calendar. Most of the dominoes have already fallen during this coaching cycle, with many schools filling their vacancies ahead of last week’s signing day. Moore just held a news conference with reporters on Monday to discuss the program’s latest recruiting class and its Dec. 31 matchup against Texas in the Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines landed the 11th-ranked recruiting class nationally, adding 27 freshmen to the program.
While Moore wasn’t fired for the team’s on-field performance, Michigan did experience a downturn in success with him at the helm. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to three straight Big Ten titles and an undefeated national championship season before bolting for the Chargers.
Michigan salvaged Moore’s first season with stunning wins over Ohio State and Alabama to close the year, but it still finished 8-5. This year, the Wolverines were in the hunt for a playoff bid and conference championship game berth heading into the final week, but they lost to Ohio State 27-9 to fall to 9-3.
More on Moore’s tenure
When Harbaugh returned to the NFL in January 2024, Moore was viewed as the heir apparent. The Kansas native and former offensive lineman at Oklahoma had quickly risen through the coaching rankings and had been on Harbaugh’s staff since 2018. He coached two Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines in 2021 and 2022 and added sole offensive coordinator and play-calling duties to his title in 2023.
Michigan’s offenses were among the most efficient in the country from 2021-23 but floundered in his first season as head coach, finishing 129th in yards per game in 2024.
Moore was viewed as an adept recruiter though and signed the nation’s sixth-ranked class in 2025, headlined by Belleville five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood.
During his tenure, though, Moore became ensnared in multiple scandals. He served a one-game suspension as an assistant coach in 2023 for recruiting violations, then missed the first two games of the 2025 season and was set to be suspended for the 2026 opener as well for lying to NCAA investigators over a deleted text thread with Connor Stalions, the former Michigan staffer at the center of the program’s sign-stealing saga.
He also faces a two-year show-cause order that would make it difficult for another school to hire him until 2027.Student reactions
Player/student reactions
Several Michigan players and recruits took to social media Wednesday to share their reactions. Multiple players posted on X, “Man,” while safety Brandyn Hillman posted, “Wow.”
They now will have to face a top-15 Texas team with an interim coach, although the team did play well under Poggi in 2025. With Moore suspended for Weeks 3 and 4, Michigan hammered Central Michigan 63-3 before going on the road and beating Nebraska, 30-27.
The 66-year-old Poggi is in his third stint with the Wolverines. He was hired as associate head coach prior to the 2024 season and also held the same role in 2021 and 2022 under Harbaugh before leaving to take the head coaching job at Charlotte.
Michigan players and coaches praised the former hedge fund manager for his role in laying the foundation of a winning culture that sparked a three-year run of Big Ten championships, but that success didn’t continue at Charlotte. He was fired with two games remaining in the 2024 season, finishing with a 6-16 record over parts of two seasons.
Harbaugh once referred to Poggi as a “trusted agent” and known friend,” praising his leadership ability. Michigan is now relying on Poggi to lead the program through a tumultuous period.
Meanwhile, some students were disappointed in Moore’s conduct, with one saying he “disrespected the athletic department and the school.”
What’s next?
The Wolverines need to find a new head coach, and fast. The transfer portal is set to open on Jan. 2, and current Michigan players will also have a 15-day window to enter the portal once a new coach is hired. Keeping foundational pieces of the roster in the fold will be a top priority for whoever Michigan hires. Potential options include coaches with Michigan ties such as Washington head coach Jedd Fisch or Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The university could opt to go in another direction too and try and pry a big-name coach away from other Power Four programs. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham are potential targets.
