Fired Michigan coach Sherrone Moore detained by police after dismissal: Reports

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan fired football coach Sherrone Moore for cause on Wednesday. He was later detained by police in nearby Saline, a few miles outside of Ann Arbor, according to ESPN.

Moore had been “involved in an incident that required police attention,” according to the Detroit News.

The university cited an inappropriate relationship with a staff member as the reason for Moore’s firing.

“Following a university investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

Moore, 39, just completed his second season as head coach after serving as an assistant coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff from 2018-2023. The Wolverines were 17-8 during his tenure, including a 9-3 finish this season. Associate head coach Biff Poggi will be Michigan’s interim head coach for the Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31.

A source briefed on the decision said the school received an anonymous tip regarding the inappropriate relationship, prompting the investigation. The investigation initially did not produce evidence of the relationship, the source said, but additional evidence came to light in the last 24 hours that led to Moore’s dismissal.

According to a team source, most of Michigan’s staff learned of the coach’s firing when Manuel informed the team during a meeting. Moore was in the building Wednesday but was not at that team meeting, according to the source.

Moore’s firing came with little warning. Moore was in the process of assembling his staff for next season and hired veteran assistant Kerry Coombs to run Michigan’s special teams days earlier. Two days before his dismissal, Moore met with reporters to discuss Michigan’s 2026 signing class and the bowl matchup against Texas.

“I think we’ve got a really good foundation of where we need to be, but we’ve got a lot to work on,” Moore said Monday.

Moore’s firing brought an abrupt end to a two-year tenure marked by highs and lows. He took over for Harbaugh on the heels of Michigan’s 2023 national championship, with the program scrambling to maintain its footing after Harbaugh departed for the NFL.

Michigan started 4-3 in Moore’s first season, matching its losses from the previous three years combined. The season ended with momentum as the Wolverines upset Ohio State 13-10 in Columbus and signed quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2025.

This year’s team fell short of expectations. The Wolverines lost at Oklahoma in Week 2, then USC blew out Michigan in mid-October. Moore’s final game was a 27-9 loss to the Buckeyes that snapped Michigan’s four-game winning streak in the rivalry.

The Connor Stalions sign-stealing investigation clouded Moore’s tenure. Moore served a two-game suspension this season for deleting text messages he’d exchanged with Stalions and was set to be suspended for the 2026 season opener.

The NCAA did not strip Michigan of any victories or its national championship but punished the school with a massive fine that could exceed $30 million. Moore was earning $5.6 million in the second year of the five-year contract he signed after replacing Harbaugh. His contract included a provision that protected him from being terminated for NCAA violations that occurred before his hiring as head coach.

The contract, however, outlined several reasons he could be fired for cause, including rule violations and misconduct.

— Bruce Feldman and Sam Jane contributed to this report.