After Sherrone Moore firing, Michigan expanding investigation to probe entire athletics department
The third-party investigation into Sherrone Moore’s off-field conduct led to the end of Moore’s tenure at Michigan — and much more — but the investigation itself is not over.
On the contrary, the Washington, D.C., based law firm Jenner & Block has now been authorized to continue its investigation into the culture within the entire athletics department. U-M interim president Domenico Grasso announced the decision in a statement to the Michigan community following Moore’s firing:
“All of the facts here must be known, so the University’s investigation will continue,’’ Grasso wrote. “I encourage anyone with information about this matter to confidentially contact [email protected].”
CBS Sports reported, quoting a source, that the inquiry will be “open-ended.”
It’s fair to say the Michigan football program has been scandal-ridden in recent years. Moore and Jim Harbaugh combine to serve three separate multi-game suspensions over the past three seasons, two due to the Connor Stalions advance scouting scandal and one due to Harbaugh’s violation of NCAA covid-era recruiting rules. In March, former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was indicted on more than two dozen federal charges after he accessed the private photos of more than 2,000 college-aged women. And then were was Stalions himself.
The problems extend beyond football, as well. Former men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard was suspended for smacking an opposing coach, investigated in a Title IX complaint, and ultimately fired last year. Men’s ice hockey coach Mel Pearson was found to have fostered a “toxic environment” in which players were pressured to lie on covid-19 forms.
It’s enough that AD Warde Manuel, who initially hired Jenner & Block, could see that same’s investigation cost him his own job. A defensive tackle for Bo Schembechler’s Wolverine teams in the late 1980s, Manuel has been Michigan’s athletics department since 2016.
How that would affect Michigan’s the ongoing search for Moore’s replacement is anyone’s guess. Sources tell FootballScoop that Michigan has retained a search firm to assist with the search, but the university is already being run by an interim president and the AD is, it’s fair to say, embattled.
In the meantime, Biff Poggi is Michigan’s interim head coach ahead of the Wolverines’ New Year’s Eve date with Texas in the Citrus Bowl, Jenner & Block’s work continues, and its former head coach is due for a hearing on Jan. 22.
“This breach of trust by coach Moore is painful for many in our community, first and foremost, the individuals directly involved in this situation,” Grasso said. “Yet our swift and decisive action reflects the university’s staunch commitment to a campus culture of respect, integrity and accountability.”
