Michigan fired football coach Sherron Moore on Wednesday after finding evidence of an “inappropriate relationship with an employee,” a stunning end to his short, checkered tenure that saw the Wolverines take a step back on the field after winning a national championship.
“This behavior constitutes a clear violation of university policy, and UM has a zero-tolerance approach to such behavior,” athletic director Warde Manuel said.
The announcement did not include details of the alleged relationship. Moore, who went 8-5 in his rookie season and 9-3 this year, did not respond to a message seeking comment left by The Associated Press. Last year, he signed a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $5.5 million.
College football's most successful program is suddenly looking for its third coach in four years, shortly after a busy cycle that saw Lane Kiffin leave playoff-bound Ole Miss for LSU.
Moore, the team's former offensive coordinator, was named to lead the Wolverines after they won the 2024 national title, succeeding Jim Harbaugh when he returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers. The 18th-ranked Wolverines (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) will play No. 14 Texas on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl.
Moore, in his second season, was suspended for two games in 2025 as part of voluntary sanctions for NCAA violations related to the sign-stealing scandal. The NCAA added a third game to the suspension, which would have kept Moore from playing in next year's opener against Western Michigan.
Now Moore will miss this game for another reason.
He previously deleted an entire thread of 52 text messages on his personal phone with former employee Connor Stalions, who led the team's sign-sealing operation for the program. The texts were later recovered and turned over to the NCAA.
The team's interim coach will be Biff Poggi, who replaced Moore when he was suspended earlier this season.
