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Sherrone Moore firing row: New Jim Harbaugh claims emerge amid cheating scandal; Michigan makes first move
Sherrone Moore was fired as Michigan's coach. This comes after the 39-year-old was accused of having an ‘inappropriate relationship with a staff member’
Sherrone Moore was fired as Michigan's head coach on Wednesday. This comes after the 39-year-old was accused of having an ‘inappropriate relationship with a staff member’. Now, the Wolverines' fans and social media users have brought up Jim Harbaugh, who was accused of NCAA violations.
“This conduct constitutes a clear violation of university policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior,” athletic director Warde Manuel said.
The statement, however, did not mention the details of the alleged relationship.
Michigan is now searching for a new leader, marking its third coaching change in four years, a surprising development for the winningest program in college football.
Moore, who guided the Wolverines to an 8-5 record in his first season and a 9-3 finish this year, has not publicly addressed his dismissal. The Associated Press reported that Moore did not respond to a request for comment. He had signed a five-year deal worth $5.5 million in base salary annually just last year.
Moore ascended to the top job after serving as offensive coordinator, taking over in 2024 when Jim Harbaugh left Ann Arbor to return to the NFL as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers following Michigan’s national title run. This season, the Wolverines went 9-3 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten, earning a date with No. 14 Texas in the Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl.
Why Jim Harbaugh is facing flak
Fans pointed out that it was only recently that Michigan was penalized for sign-stealing under Jim Harbaugh.
Moore's tenure was also overshadowed by the fallout of the sign-stealing scandal. As part of Michigan’s self-imposed penalties, Moore served a two-game suspension in 2025. The NCAA later tacked on a third game, which would have kept him off the sideline for next season’s opener against Western Michigan, a game he now won’t coach for an entirely different reason.
“First Jim Harbaugh cheated. And now Sherrone Moore cheated....but in a completely different way!” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I feel like Jim Harbaugh left us in this mess. He needs to make up for it and give us Jesse Minter,” another one tweeted.
Moore also faced scrutiny for deleting a 52-message text chain with former staffer Connor Stalions, the figure at the center of the alleged scouting operation. Investigators later recovered the deleted communications and provided them to the NCAA.
With Moore out, Biff Poggi, who previously filled in during Moore’s suspension, has been appointed interim head coach as Michigan prepares for its bowl appearance.
