Detroit — Sherrone Moore threw his Michigan coaching career away, that’s on him. It’s sad for all involved, and you hope the people that need help, get it.
But that’s not where this story ends. Michigan is threatening to toss its reputation, scandal by scandal. Moore’s infidelities with a staffer aren’t violations of football rules, but violations of decency and workplace standards. And it’s further evidence of a discipline deficit in UM’s program, right down to Moore’s apparent lack of self-discipline.
The next steps are absolutely critical. For Moore, from a human and legal standpoint. In a tragic turn, he was in the Washtenaw County Jail Wednesday night, and the Pittsfield Township police department said it was handling an assault investigation.
For UM, it’s from a credibility and sustainability standpoint. AD Warde Manuel will be challenged more than ever, and his own reputation (and job) should be at stake. According to UM’s statement, the school investigated Moore’s “inappropriate relationship with a staff member” and fired him Wednesday, effective immediately.
Now Moore has a life to put back together, and for the sake of him and his family, hopefully he can do it. Less personal but just as pressing, Michigan has a program to put back together.
We know the school has the resources to spend lavishly, and sometimes wisely. There’s no backing off now. The timing of Moore’s ouster isn’t good, not that any timing is. Most of the top coaching candidates have filled other numerous vacancies.
But let’s not be naïve here. For a job of UM’s magnitude — and yes, its prestige, even if smudged — there will be excellent candidates. A few are obvious, although expensive. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer will be at the top of the list, and Washington’s Jedd Fisch will be in the mix.
DeBoer probably would have been UM’s first choice two years ago when Jim Harbaugh departed after winning the national championship over Washington. During Harbaugh’s prolonged dalliance with the NFL, DeBoer left Washington for Alabama, where he’s 19-7 in two seasons. Fisch, who was the passing game coordinator in 2015-16 at UM under Harbaugh, is 14-11 in two seasons at Washington.
Then-logical choice
At the time, Moore was the logical in-house choice for UM. But he was only 37, and nobody knew if he was the right guy to replace a towering figure like Harbaugh, or just the available and safe guy. I contended, for the sake of continuity after UM went 40-3 with three playoff appearances, he was the right guy for the moment.
So much has changed since then, and Moore has seen big moments and low moments, 18-8 overall and 2-1 against Ohio State, counting his stint as the interim. And now, an ugly, embarrassing moment, for him and the program. UM has gone through multiple NCAA investigations, unsavory firings, suspensions and fines, and the next bizarre turn is never far off.
If Manuel is to make the next hire, he’ll need the support of the Board of Regents and interim president Domenico Grasso, and must move swiftly and cohesively. If Manuel has lost the trust of the administration, then he must be replaced. I understand that option, but unless there’s a strong leader available, more upheaval isn’t necessarily helpful.
Clearly, controversial things have occurred under Manuel’s watch, even going back to Juwan Howard’s unsettling stint as basketball coach. Just as clearly, a lot of positive things have happened — a national championship in football, a top-ranked basketball team led by his hire, Dusty May, a top-ranked hockey team, and a successful, profitable athletic department.
I’m not sure how many ADs could have navigated the obstacles — the prizes and pitfalls — of Harbaugh’s nine-year reign. It stained the program in some ways and elevated it on a national platform. This football hire requires the utmost care and scrutiny. Under Harbaugh and Manuel, the vetting for candidates often was cursory or sloppy.
There were whispered rumors of Moore’s transgressions, enough to launch an investigation, which concluded just in time for Michigan to finish its season and sign a good recruiting class. The timing looks suspicious, but recruiting can be as much about signing NIL deals as signing with a coach. According to reports, Moore was expected back as late as this past Monday, when he held his normal wrapup press conference to preview the bowl game with Texas, and was asked about lessons he took from the season.
“Proud of the team, it’s a very young team, and I continue to say it, and you go back and watch game by game, you saw groups getting better and better and better,” Moore said. “I think we’ve got a really good foundation of where we need to be, but we’ve got a lot to work on.”
Difficult transition for Poggi
In the meantime, associate head coach Biff Poggi will serve as the interim. The timing makes the transition difficult, but far from impossible. The most cynical UM fans might even welcome it, as they grew disgruntled with Moore’s offensive philosophy and inability to coax more out of quarterback Bryce Underwood. Fans expected way too much out of the freshman but Moore bore the brunt of the questions.
There are hints of similar unrest at Alabama, where DeBoer just lost to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC title game, but has the Crimson Tide in the playoff, facing Oklahoma next Friday. A victory there might buy him some slack, but slack rarely lasts at the power programs.
Moore’s first win over the Buckeyes came as the interim during the Wolverines’ 15-0 march to the national championship. His second victory in The Game the following season was an all-time 13-10 shocker that took the sting out of an 8-5 season.
Moore had been at UM since 2015 as offensive line coach and then offensive coordinator, and his impact on the program was significant. You could argue he wasn’t seasoned enough, and a promoted assistant can struggle to establish firm control of a team. Players liked him, but his genial personality sometimes seemed to lack an edge.
It’s fair to say, the discipline slipped. This is not revisionism, this was noted fairly quickly, when Moore was cited by the NCAA for deleting texts during the Connor Stalions sign-stealing investigation. He was given a three-game suspension, served two this past season, and was due to sit out one next year.
Right down to the final day, it was difficult to get a clear picture of what Moore was putting together here, and if he had the command to maintain it. You hope he learns and moves on.
And you hope Michigan extracts perspective from this. It has to start with discipline and accountability, and a leader strong enough to demand it. Because right now, the program is exhausting people’s tolerance and patience.
@bobwojnowski
