Michigan president says Sherrone Moore investigation will continue: ‘All of the facts here must be known’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In an email to University of Michigan students and faculty on Thursday, Michigan president Domenico Grasso touted the school’s quick action in firing head football coach Sherrone Moore and pledged that the investigation into Moore’s behavior would continue.

“Earlier this week, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics dismissed head football coach Sherrone Moore with cause for violating University policy by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” Grasso wrote in the email, which was reviewed by The Athletic. “When the findings of a University investigation into Coach Moore’s behavior were presented on Wednesday, we immediately terminated his employment.

“There is absolutely no tolerance for this conduct at the University of Michigan. None.”

Grasso later added that the university’s investigation was ongoing and encouraged anyone with information about the matter to send a confidential email. “All of the facts here must be known.”

Moore, 39, remained in custody at Washtenaw County Jail on Thursday after being detained by police Wednesday, a result of incidents that unfolded in the hours after his firing.

At 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, police were called to the listed address of a female Michigan football staffer, according to police dispatch. Police also sent officers to the listed address of Moore. He was detained in Saline, a few miles outside of Ann Arbor, as part of an alleged assault investigation, according to the Pittsfield Township Police Department.

Moore is expected to appear in court for arraignment on Friday, the police department said Thursday. Both the police department and the Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office declined further comment, citing the active investigation.

Grasso’s email echoed a statement from athletic director Warde Manuel on Wednesday, which said Moore had been fired for “an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

Moore previously served as an assistant coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff from 2018 to 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 contributed to this report.