"A lot of uneasiness on the Michigan staff": Pete Thamel shares behind-the-scenes insights following Sherrone Moore's firing

The Michigan Wolverines parted ways with Sherrone Moore on December 10, 2025. College football insider Pete Thamel is now reporting a sense of unease behind the scenes at the collegiate football powerhouse.

According to On3 Sports, Thamel said the tension had been brewing for a while. During an appearance on SportsCenter Wednesday evening, Thamel said,

"This is something that’s been percolating at Michigan for the last couple of weeks. There was an initial flurry of speculation during the early stages of the investigation. That died down toward the end of the regular season." "There had been a lot of uneasiness on the Michigan staff. Sources had told me Sherrone Moore had been acting strangely, berating assistant coaches, and not acting normally. Things had quieted within the last couple of weeks and, obviously, percolated back up within the last week." "Look, I’ve been around this for a long time. You rarely get a statement like the one Michigan issued, being as explicit as it is, saying that an inappropriate relationship with a staff member led to Sherrone Moore’s firing. He would have owed more than $12 million on the three years remaining on his initial contract. Michigan will not pay him that money after firing him for cause.”

The Michigan Wolverines released a statement on Wednesday about their decision to move on from Moore. It marked the end of a partnership that began in 2018, when Moore joined as a tight ends coach and eventually rose through the ranks to one of the most sought-after jobs in college football.

Moore was preparing the team for the Citrus Bowl after the team went 9-3 during the regular season. Biff Poggi steps in as an interim head coach while the Wolverines begin the search for a full-time replacement.

Michigan commits react to Sherrone Moore's firing

Last week, 27 high school stars signed their National Letters of Intent during the CFB's early signing period to start their collegiate football careers at the University of Michigan. Sherrone Moore played a key role in recruiting those players.

Following his firing, Rivals' staff members reached out to the players to get their reaction to Moore's termination. Here's a handful of responses.

"I don’t even know right now what to think," said 4-star wide receiver Travis Johnson. "It’s crazy hearing about the news, but time will tell what I’ll be doing. Because coach Moore and his staff were a huge reason for my commitment,” said 4-star safety Andre Clarke. "It sucks he got fired, but I’m still going to be a Wolverine no matter what," said 4-star Edge rusher Recarder Kitchen "It sucks. College football is crazy now. I loved coach Moore,” said 4-star quarterback Peter Bourque. "I’m home (at Michigan), no questions about it. It is a small bump in the road, but everyone faces adversity. I am confident my guys are sticking with me, and we are going to be successful," said 4-star defensive lineman Alister Vallejo.

The general mood among the commits is one of disappointment, but the majority of players still seem locked in. Michigan is a significant program, and most of the players had dreams of playing for the school regardless of who's coaching the program.

However, there's a chance that Sherrone Moore's firing could make some commits opt to take their talents elsewhere. According to Sports Illustrated, the 2026 transfer portal window runs from January 2-16, and the Wolverines need to move quickly to hire a new head coach before that window opens.

Edited by Nick Igbokwe