Michigan coach Sherrone Moore walks off the field after his team's 31-12 loss to Texas at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with new information.

Sherrone Moore is out at Michigan.

According to a statement from the university, the Wolverines have fired Moore for cause after two seasons, following an investigation that found "credible evidence" he "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member."

Moore will finish his tenure with the Wolverines with an 18-8 overall record as the full-time head coach.

With the Wolverines set to finish their season against Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, associate head coach Biff Poggi will serve as Michigan's interim head coach. Poggi previously served as the Wolverines' acting head coach for two games this season while Moore served a self-imposed two-game suspension from Michigan for his involvement in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.

Here's what to know on why Michigan fired Moore:

Why was Sherrone Moore fired by Michigan?

Moore was fired by Michigan for cause after an investigation found the second-year Wolverines coach to have "engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member."

"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 relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of university policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior," Michigan wrote in a statement.

"Biff Poggi has been appointed head football coach in an interim capacity, effective immediately."

On the 5 p.m. ET edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter," Adam Schefter reported that Michigan staffers learned that Moore was being fired before the team on Wednesday and that one staff member coach told Schefter he is "completely shocked by the situation."

"It's been a difficult situation for everyone involved in the program and are surprised (by it)," Schefter reported.

As noted by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, there are currently no public details about the inappropriate relationship Moore had with a staff member that resulted in his firing.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on the 6 p.m. ET edition of "SportsCenter" that the reasoning behind Moore's firing with cause has been "percolating at Michigan for the last couple of weeks."

“This is something that’s been percolating at Michigan for the last couple of weeks. There was an initial flurry of speculation and an early investigation. That died down toward the end of the regular season," Thamel said. "There had been a lot of uneasiness on the Michigan staff. The sources had told me Sherrone Moore had been acting strange, berating assistant coaches, not acting in a normal way.

"Things had quieted within the last couple of weeks, and obviously percolated back up within the last week. And look, (I’ve) been around this for a long time, 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."

This all comes less than two years after Moore was named the successor to former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, after Harbaugh left the Wolverines for a return to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. He left the Wolverines after winning the 2024 national championship.

The Wolverines were not able to sustain the success they had with Harbaugh under Moore despite going 18-8 overall in two seasons, as Michigan has missed out on the Big Ten championship and the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff the last two years.

Sherrone Moore detained by police

According to ESPN's Dan Wetzel, Moore has been detained by the City of Saline Police Department and turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department. Wetzel reported that Moore is being investigated "into potential charges," though those charges are unclear at this time.

Sherrone Moore buyout

Since Moore was terminated with cause, he will not be owed his buyout from the Wolverines.

Sherrone Moore contract

Moore was set to make $510,000 in base salary and $5.1 million in "additional compensation" this year according to his contract obtained by the USA TODAY Network. His $6.11 million total salary this season ranked 40th among the highest-paid coaches in college football, according to USA TODAY Sports' database.

Sherrone Moore record

Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Moore's record at Michigan, as the Wolverines' head coach:

  • 2023: 1-0 *
  • 2024: 8-5
  • 2025: 9-3

* Served as interim coach

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why was Sherrone Moore fired at Michigan? Wolverines coach dismissed for cause

Reporting by John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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