Michigan has fired head football coach Sherrone Moore “with cause, effective immediately” after he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member, the school announced Wednesday afternoon.
“Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” Michigan athletic director Ward Manuel said in a statement. “This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Statement from Michigan on Sherrone Moore’s firing: pic.twitter.com/QBy9ETJKXB
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 10, 2025
Moore had just wrapped up his second full season as the head coach at Michigan, finishing with a 17-8 overall record and a 2-1 record against rival Ohio State. The school said that Biff Poggi will serve as the interim head football coach, effective immediately. The 18th-ranked Wolverines are set to play No. 13 Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
Poggi had served as the program’s interim coach for two games earlier this season when Moore served a two-game suspension tied to Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. It was the same scandal that led to Moore’s initial opportunity to become the Wolverines’ head coach, albeit in an acting capacity. Moore served as the program’s game-day head coach during Jim Harbaugh’s three-game suspension amid the NCAA investigation into Connor Stalion’s scheme.
Wednesday’s news sent shockwaves throughout college football. The head coaching carousel had largely stopped spinning, with all of the open Power 4 jobs filled after a great deal of turnover. But now, one of the most coveted jobs in the sport is open. And the transfer portal does not open until Jan. 2, leaving the possibility of a national search and an outside hire in the coming weeks. Still, with so many big-name coaches recently making moves or signing extensions, this could be a challenging search.
This article will continue to be updated.
