SI:AM | Michigan’s Sherrone Moore Mess

The coach was fired on Wednesday after allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

In a stunning turn of events, Sherrone Moore is out as head coach at Michigan. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Make sure you check out my Digital Cover story on Matthews Arena in Boston. After 115 years, the final game at this historic venue will be played on Saturday. We’ve also got a great video to accompany the piece on our YouTube channel. 

In today’s SI:AM:
🏈 Sherrone Moore shocker
🤔 10 Michigan candidates
⚾ Pete Alonso domino effect

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Michigan enters the coaching market

Michigan suddenly finds itself searching for a new football coach. 

The Wolverines announced Wednesday that Sherrone Moore had been fired for cause after the school said an investigation had uncovered “credible evidence” that Moore had “engaged in 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,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. 

Associate head coach Biff Poggi, the former Charlotte coach, was named interim head coach for the team’s Citrus Bowl appearance against Texas on Dec. 31. 

The story took a turn shortly after, when it was reported that the Saline Police Department arrested Moore and subsequently handed him over to authorities in Pittsfield Township, which borders Ann Arbor. Pittsfield police said they responded to a call at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. Though the Pittsfield police statement did not name Moore, Saline police had previously said they had assisted in arresting Moore and handing him over to Pittsfield. (Moore has not been charged with a crime.)

Moore went 17–8 in two full seasons as Michigan’s coach. (He also served as interim coach for one win in 2023 when Jim Harbaugh was suspended.) Promoting Moore, a longtime Michigan assistant, from offensive coordinator to head coach when Harbaugh left for the NFL after the ’23 season was a move intended to provide stability for the program after it had been rocked by Connor Stalions cheating scandal. Instead, Moore’s alleged conduct has thrust the Wolverines into an unexpected period of uncertainty. The Wolverines hadn’t reached the same heights of national championship contention as they had under Harbaugh, but Moore had kept the team competitive in a stacked Big Ten. Some Michigan fans who had grown accustomed to being perennial playoff contenders under Harbaugh may have wanted Moore replaced with someone more experienced. The fact is, the team would have been better off next season with him in charge rather than moving on to a third coach in four years. 

Moore’s arrest makes this more than a football story, but there are definitely major football implications. For one thing, the timing of Moore’s dismissal puts Michigan in a tough spot. The Wolverines are jumping on the coaching carousel after it’s already made one spin, and top targets like Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, Matt Campbell and Alex Golesh have already found new homes. Michigan is a top job, though, and so the school should have little trouble prying a big name away from their current job. The bigger concern is the tight turnaround before the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2. We’ve already seen with Penn State what impact coaching uncertainty can have on recruiting. Michigan needs to move quickly to make a good hire so the new coach can start re-recruiting the existing roster and start building a transfer class to replace those who decide to leave. 

The best of Sports Illustrated

Could Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer be a potential fit for the Michigan job? / Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

• Michigan football’s latest scandal underscores how far the program has drifted in the last five years amid highs on the field, Pat Forde writes.
• With Sherrone Moore out, Bryan Fischer maps out Michigan’s coaching search—from Kalen DeBoer and Brian Kelly to several NFL names—as the Wolverines pursue one of the cycle’s most coveted hires.
• Pete Alonso is heading to Baltimore. What does that mean for the Mets, Red Sox, Yankees and other big-market clubs? Tom Verducci breaks it all down.
• In this week’s NFL mailbag, Albert Breer explores how Cleveland’s lingering quarterback chaos is shaping the futures of coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. He also looks at what’s next for the Chiefs.
• Conor Orr unveils his annual list of the top NFL head-coaching candidates ahead of the 2026 hiring cycle—and why this could be the year defensive minds take over the market.
• Which unbeaten men’s college hoops teams can keep their streaks alive? Kevin Sweeney assesses when the final eight undefeated squads are most likely to take their first loss.
• Jon Wertheim sits down with Amanda Anisimova to reflect on her breakout year, her short offseason and the milestones she’s finally living out in this week’s Tennis Mailbag.

The top five…

… things I saw last night: 
5. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks bullying a defender for an easy bucket in the post. Crooks had 30 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 10 Cyclones’ 74–69 rivalry win over No. 11 Iowa. Crooks has now scored at least 20 points in 50 of her 79 career games and joined Brittney Griner as the only Division I players since 2000 to put up 30 points on at least 65% shooting in three straight games. 
4. A sweet behind-the-back assist by Purdue’s Braden Smith. 
3. A diving save by Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in a 2-on-1 situation. 
2. The Thunder’s barrage of threes to close out the first half against the Suns. OKC went on to win, 138–89. 
1. LeBron James’s vicious dunk all over Luke Kornet.