Michigan fired coach Sherron Moore due to the end of his second season with the Wolverines football program. Sporting director Warde Manuel said Wednesday that the dismissal was due to an inappropriate relationship with a club employee.
“Sherron Moore has been terminated for cause, effective immediately,” Manuel said in a statement. “Following a university investigation, credible evidence was discovered that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This behavior is a clear violation of university policy, and UM maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Associate head coach Biff Poggi was named interim coach effective immediately.
After learning of the allegations against Moore, prominent Michigan donors pulled out, sources tell CBS Sports.
In recent days, as rumors began to circulate around college football that Michigan was investigating Moore, Michigan personnel began to worry about their future.
“It's hard to ignore,” one CBS Sports employee said earlier Wednesday.
Manuel told team employees that at least part of the Moore investigation, which has long been an open secret within the company, has been ongoing since mid-November, sources said.
Michigan finished 8-5 in Moore's debut season, improving to 9-3 this year, and the Wolverines remained in the College Football Playoff conversation until the final week of the regular season. The team's CFP hopes faded after a 27-9 home loss to rival Ohio State, ending the Wolverines' four-game winning streak in the series.
Michigan is scheduled to play Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
Sherron Moore scores full circle for Michigan.
Moore takes over the Michigan football program in 2024 after serving as offensive coordinator under former coach Jim Harbaugh. Scandals precipitated Moore's promotion to head coach, and another ended his tenure with the team.
He was the head coach for four games into the 2023 season while Harbaugh was suspended for recruiting violations and then the program's sign-stealing saga; The Wolverines went 4-0, although Moore only had one win on his resume. Moore won the season-opening game against Bowling Green and led the Wolverines to three straight victories to end the regular season, including a rivalry win over Ohio State to earn a berth in the Big Ten Championship Game and College Football Playoff. The Wolverines then won the national championship for the first time since 1997.
Playing a key role in the national championship earned Moore a full-time job after Harbaugh left for the NFL late in the campaign. Harbaugh's departure came late in the coaching carousel, and promoting from within allowed Michigan to maintain as much continuity as possible while also rewarding Moore for his efforts as an assistant. Moore has been on Ann Arbor's staff since 2018, rising from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator.
Moore served a one-game suspension this year for his role in a sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan failed to make the College Football Playoff under Moore
Following the national championship, Michigan took an expected step back under Moore. The Wolverines went just 8-5 in 2024, their worst record since 2017, while they struggled mightily on offense after losing quarterback JJ McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and several other starters to the NFL. The Wolverines ranked just 113th in the FBS in scoring at 22.0 points per game, with former punter Davis Warren taking the majority of the snaps at quarterback. However, an elite defense loaded with NFL talent kept the team afloat and prevented the bottom from falling out after the coaching change.
Although Moore's first year was underwhelming, it ended on a high note with victories over eventual national champion Ohio State in a stunning upset and Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Massive Recruiting Victory in the State – coup No. 1 overall pick Bryce Underwood of LSU (rumored to cost $10 million) – further brightened Wolverine's prospects for 2025 and beyond.
This strong finish to 2024 and the addition of Moore have heightened expectations for Michigan entering the 2025 season. An early loss to Oklahoma, in which Underwood struggled mightily, raised some doubts, and the Wolverines later fell to 4-2 with a terrible loss to USC. Five straight wins followed, and Michigan's CFP hopes were still alive heading into the season finale against No. 1 Ohio State. The Wolverines started the game with a 6–0 lead, but were ultimately unable to contain the Buckeyes in a 27–9 loss—a game that ended the Wolverines' national championship hopes and ultimately proved to be Moore's last as Michigan coach.
