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The coaching carousel received a jolt Wednesday when Michigan announced it was firing head coach Sherrone Moore for cause. Moore, who had just wrapped up his second season with the Wolverines, posted an 18-8 record as head coach.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel announced the decision Wednesday afternoon, saying Moore had engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with a staffer. Moore was also arrested on Wednesday evening as part of an investigation into a alleged assault. The link between the two incidents remains largely unclear
Moore finished the 2025 regular season 9-3. Michigan is set to face Texas in the Citrus Bowl.
Here’s what to know about the allegations facing Moore, his status with Michigan and more.
BENDER: Sherrone Moore firing creates 4 major questions for Michigan
Why was Sherrone Moore fired?
According to Michigan, Moore was fired for "credible evidence" that Moore had engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with a UM staffer.
Michigan announces that Sherrone Moore has been fired for cause & school found “credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 10, 2025The Wolverines' athletic director, Warde Manuel, released a statement on Wednesday afternoon:
Statement from University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel:
“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately. Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate…
On Thursday, Michigan President Dominico Grasso also released a statement in a letter to the Wolverine community, saying there is no tolerance for Moore's behavior.
Letter sent from Michigan president to the university tonight. https://t.co/ELwP0hu1mg pic.twitter.com/AHPQ6LYba0
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 11, 2025Moore just finished his second season with Michigan, taking over for Jim Harbaugh after he left for the NFL two seasons ago. He finished 18-8 as a head coach in Ann Arbor.
What did Sherrone Moore do?
It has been reported that Moore, who is married with three children, is accused of engaging in a relationship with a Michigan staff member. Such a situation likely resulted in a breach of Moore’s contract with the university. Beyond that, however, few details of the situation have been made public.
Moore had been suspended twice previously under the sign-stealing investigation involving former UM assistant Conner Stalions, missing two games this season. He was also set to serve a one-game suspension to open the 2026 season. In 2023, he served a self-imposed one-game suspension for violating COVID recruiting rules.
We have seen other coaches fired for cause in recent years. Michigan State fired Mel Tucker in 2023 after an investigation found Tucker sexually harassed Title IX advocate Brenda Tracy, who had previously worked with the program. Tracy was a sexual assault survivor stemming from the Baylor football Title IX scandal.
Washington State fired Nick Rolovich for cause in October 2021 after he refused to comply with the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Florida fired Jim McElwain for cause in 2017 after the head coach claimed he and his family had received death threats amid the program’s struggles. An investigation later found that no such threats had been made.
MORE: Michigan's best candidates to replace Sherrone Moore
Sherrone Moore 911 call
TMZ has released audio of a 911 tape, allegedly tied to Moore's arrest on Wednesday. On the tape, you can hear the dispatcher say that a woman on location was "being attacked," and that the man at the location has "been stalking her for months."
#EXCLUSIVE 😳 TMZ Sports has obtained dispatch audio stemming from the alleged Sherrone Moore assault. https://t.co/F75acyiGie pic.twitter.com/d12cGW9DcQ
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) December 11, 2025Sherrone Moore arrest details
Per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Moore is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on Friday, Dec. 12:
Update from Pittsfield Township police on the Sherrone Moore situation: "This investigation is ongoing and under review by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor. The suspect remains in custody at the Washtenaw County Jail and is expected to appear in court for arraignment on 12/12/25."
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 11, 2025ESPN's Dan Wetzel first reported the news of Moore's arrest. As of Thursday morning, he remains in police custody. No decision on formal charges for Moore are expected by Thursday, per police:
The Washtenaw County Prosecutors Office tells ESPN that no decision on charging Sherrone Moore is expected today. The former Michigan coach remains in custody.
"The matter involving Mr. Moore remains under active investigation by law-enforcement, and as a result, we do not…
According to Wetzel, Moore was arrested in Saline, Mich., on Wednesday evening.
Breaking: Ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was detained by police in Saline, Mich. this evening and turned over to police in Pittsfield Township for investigation into potential charges, reporting with @PeteThamel pic.twitter.com/KTuzlmNXQ7
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) December 11, 2025According to Tony Paul of the Detroit News and court records, Moore was placed in the Washtenaw County Jail, roughly 10 miles south of Ann Arbor, on Wednesday evening. Police confirmed to Paul that they made an arrest stemming from “an assault investigation” but did not specifically use Moore’s name in the statement.
Statement from Pittsfield Township police: https://t.co/zmdD5LYwUL pic.twitter.com/Q9sfEx3tx4
— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) December 11, 2025On Thursday, NBC's Nicole Auerbach reported that the university knew that the former head coach was dealing with mental health issues, yet Manuel fired Moore with no human relations representative or security guards present.
Michigan had been alerted prior to Wednesday that Sherrone Moore was dealing with mental health issues yet Warde Manuel fired him alone with no HR rep and no security present, source told @NBCSports.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 11, 2025Moore was arrested hours after his termination.
Will Michigan AD Warde Manuel be fired?
While rumors are circulating that Manuel will be fired, Michigan will be starting its coaching search with him remaining as athletic director.
Michigan board members and university officials held a call earlier today related to the situation with Sherrone Moore, sources tell @YahooSports. Despite reports to the contrary, Warde Manuel remains the athletic director as the school begins a search for its next coach.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 11, 2025Earlier on Thursday, Michigan board members and university officials held a call related to the situation and made the decision.
Sherrone Moore assault allegations
Pittsfield police released a statement saying it brought a suspect into custody "for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault," according to ESPN. The statement went on to say "this incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community."
The police did not name Sherrone Moore as the suspect, but the details of the arrest align with the reports that police detained Moore. The situation and investigation remain ongoing.
Is Sherrone Moore married?
Yes, Moore is married. He has been married since 2015, to his wife, Kelli Moore. The couple has three daughters together.
Who is Sherrone Moore's wife?
Moore's wife is Kelli Moore. The two married in 2015, when Moore was the tight ends coach at Central Michigan.
Sherrone Moore contract details
Moore signed a five-year contract with Michigan in Jan. 2024. His salary was $6.1 million annually, with a $500,000 retention bonus every year. His deal ran through the 2029 season.
His buyout by USA Today is listed as $13,897,916. According to CBS Sports, his buyout is 75% of his base salary, including the additional compensation remaining on his contract. If Moore is fired for cause, the school could potentially avoid paying out the remainder of his contract.
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