Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was “acting strange” in the time leading up to his shocking firing on Wednesday, December 10, according to a report.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel appeared on SportsCenter shortly after the news broke, where he shed light on the mood around the Michigan program before Moore, 39, lost his job over an alleged “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member.
“There’s been a lot of uneasiness on the Michigan staff,” said Thamel, 48. “Sources have told me Sherrone Moore had been acting strange, berating assistant coaches, not acting in a normal way. Things had quieted within the last couple weeks and obviously percolated back up in the last week.”
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel announced on Wednesday that Moore had been fired “for cause.”
“Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” he said in a statement. “This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Thamel pointed out that Manuel’s statement revealed far more than is typical.
“It is rare that you get a statement like the one Michigan had, being as explicit as they are, saying it was an inappropriate relationship with a staff member that led to Sherrone Moore’s firing,” he said.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that there had been whispers of scandal for weeks, but that a recent investigation into Moore found “no evidence of wrongdoing.”
“There had been lots of whispers and speculations about various gossipy, salacious items with the school here dating back weeks,” said Schefter, 58.
He continued, “If the school is going to take a step on Wednesday that it did, and announce that it is firing Sherrone Moore for cause, and saying he had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, then, clearly, something this week developed that the school felt like it had irrefutable evidence, and was left with no other choice.”
Manuel, 57, announced the university’s decision to fire Moore at 4:34 p.m. on Wednesday. Just 24 minutes before that, authorities arrived at the home of the Michigan staffer in question after a 911 call came in saying Moore was “attacking” a woman at the residence. The caller also claimed Moore had been “stalking her for months.”
Officers took one individual into custody at the home, with The Detroit News reporting the man was Moore.
“Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details,” a statement from the Pittsfield Township Police Department read. “Further details regarding the incident will be released as soon as possible.”
Moore was booked into the Washtenaw County Jail at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, where he remains as of Thursday evening. He is expected to be arraigned on Friday, December 12, though no charges have been filed at this time.
Michigan has named associate head coach Biff Poggi the interim head coach as the Wolverines prepare to face the University of Texas in the Citrus Bowl on December 31.
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