No Conspiracy: Evidence, Timing, And Reasoning Behind Michigan Firing Sherrone Moore For Cause

If Michigan had really hatched this grand scheme to fire Sherrone Moore for ‘cause’ because of a down season in Ann Arbor, they would have done it sooner. 

Over the past few days, there has been this growing theory that this was some type of conspiracy setup by the athletic department to fire Moore, then find a new coach to lead the Wolverines into the future. 

Well, have you been watching the coaching carousel that has taken over front page headlines for the past three months? 

There is a very big difference between rumors and substantiated facts that are needed when making this type of decision, especially if you're not going to be paying the employees' buyout in the process.

Sherrone Moore Taken Into Police Custody For Assault Hours After Being Fired By Michigan

Right now, there is an ongoing investigation into the actions of Sherrone Moore during his time at Michigan, which the university president, Domenico Grasso, announced on Thursday night. 

At the same time, Grasso implored students and faculty to come forward with any type of information pertaining to Sherrone Moore's possible transgressions while the head coach at Michigan. 

This part alone should tell you that the school is going to dig even further into this entire ordeal, and rightfully so. But, this also backs up the timing of the announcement regarding the firing of Sherrone Moore. 

Don't you think the school would have fired Sherrone Moore sooner than this past week if they had actual evidence? Do we think that jumping into this fray right now was the smartest move, given the current landscape of coaching moves? The answer is no. 

Michigan Needed Evidence, Not Just Salacious Rumors

Even though there have been rumors of Moore and a Michigan staffer engaging in an ‘inappropriate relationship’ for quite some time, it wasn't a very delicate secret in the coaching and media circles. But, there is a massive difference between rumors and credible evidence. 

Michigan Meltdown: Why The Wolverines Need A Complete ‘Michigan Man’ Cleanse After Sherrone Moore Scandal

So, even though Sherrone Moore might have denied the affair to athletic director Warde Manuel, there was only so much the school could do until they found further evidence. 

And now, I'm not implying that AD Warde Manuel handled this all correctly. 

As we've reported numerous times this week, sources tell OutKick that the staffer involved with Sherrone Moore met with Michigan officials in the past week, where they provided the evidence that proved there was an ‘inappropriate relationship’ between the two parties. 

It was during that session that Michigan felt as though they had enough information to not only fire Sherrone Moore, but to do it with cause. Sure, it's not a great look for the athletic department if they had heard scuttlebutt over the past few months and did nothing, or launched a flimsy investigation into the matter that turned into zero leads. 

But, from a legal standpoint, there's only so much the school can do if they were looking to fire Moore with justifiable cause. 

Also, given the actions of Sherrone Moore following his firing, which led to him being detained by local police, the school has to make sure they are covered in this situation from a legal standpoint as well. 

Sherrone Moore Expected To Be Arraigned in Ann Arbor

On Friday, Moore is expected to be arraigned on alleged assault charges, which actually occurred before AD Warde Manuel could send out a press release regarding the move. 

Wednesday night, Sherrone Moore was detained in Saline, Michigan, and then subsequently handed over to police in Pittsfield Township, pertaining to an investigation that is now tied to the relationship. 

According to additional audio obtained by OutKick of the 911 call, the dispatcher mentioned Sherrone Moore had been following this person for months. 

Then, dispatchers noted that the second situation, alleged to have involved the staffer, was said to be ‘Domestic’. The audio notes the subject put a knife to his throat and ran off. He was also driving a 2025 Chevy Tahoe at the time. 

This entire week will certainly be discussed for a very long time regarding the 2025 season for the Wolverines. There is now an ongoing investigation, coaching search, criminal proceedings and plenty of questions as to how long this entire relationship lasted. 

The only thing that will come out of this week in Ann Arbor is that there are certainly more questions than answers right now. 

But, if Michigan had concrete evidence that this was all transpiring before the week began, the school would have joined other football programs around the country in hopping on the coaching carousel a lot sooner than this week.