Michigan football needs a fresh start. The athletic department needs one, too.
Sherron Moore’s firing was of his own doing. But its timing and handling raise questions. Perhaps this is reflected in the letter of the law and University of Michigan policy.
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But at this point, is the school questionable?
No, that’s not the case. Not yet other There was controversy within its athletic department that was particularly ugly and sad.
No matter what happens in the future, it’s time for the Jim Harbaugh era to end. The former UM coach was hired in December 2014. He won. He brought the investigation. He brings punishment. He ran away. Michigan chose to continue development with his successor, promoting Moore from offensive coordinator to head coach.
But with Moore gone, the school has a chance to reconsider its future. The decade-long misinformation isn’t entirely Harbaugh’s fault, though.
Michigan head coach Sherron Moore hugs athletic director Ward Manuel during warmups at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Ann Arbor.
The questions involve other sports, which leads us to University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel.
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So much happened during his tenure – he was hired in January 2016.
Here’s Manuel’s statement after firing Moore on Wednesday, December 10:
“University of Michigan head football coach Sheron Moore has been fired with cause, effective immediately. Following a university investigation, credible evidence was discovered that Coach Moore had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct is a clear violation of university policy and the University of Michigan has zero tolerance for such conduct.”
Zero tolerance for this kind of behavior?
Owe money? Sherron Moore signs contract with Michigan football team, buyout after being fired
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This is a phrase often used in Ann Arbor.
Moore apparently entered into an impermissible relationship with an employee, which was not Manuel’s fault. Manuel reportedly fired him alone, without a human resources representative or any security in the room. Moore was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of assault, which was also not Manuel’s fault.
It’s also not AD’s fault that Connor Stallions conducted a “KGB”-style operation to help the football team violate the NCAA’s ban on on-site advance scouting.
Michigan State athletic director Ward Manuel talks with former player Mason Graham following a 21-16 win over Purdue on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
It’s not his fault that former University of Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard slapped an opposing coach (and then lost 24 games in a season), or that Mel Pearson allegedly created a toxic atmosphere for female support staff running the school’s lacrosse team.
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Or maybe Jim Harbaugh violated recruiting rules…more than once.
Moore’s arrest Wednesday afternoon in Pittsfield Township was the sixth time a Michigan football staff member or coach has been arrested since 2015, the year Harbaugh was hired, through no fault of his. (Among those arrested was Matt Weiss, Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator for one season; Weiss was accused of hacking into accounts and stealing private images of student-athletes.)
It’s also not Manuel’s fault that Moore deleted text messages ahead of the NCAA investigation sparked by Stallings, which resulted in Moore being suspended two games by the school this fall.
it yes His fault was that Moore was on the sideline as coach in Week 2 against Oklahoma State instead of being suspended for the first two games of the season, as Harbaugh was in 2023. Moore coached in Norman, Oklahoma, presumably because it was A) an important game and B) Moore’s alma mater. This is a school that loves to preach responsibility and integrity, leaving it up to the football coach to decide his punishment.
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Manuel allowed this.
It looked very rough back then. Now it looks even worse.
Manuel has a chance to send a message: The athletic department is serious about change. Instead, his message was that the big game was more important, the football coach was more important and the school’s own image was more important.
Moore was not obligated to coach that game. Just as Pearson wasn’t as long-term a business coach, Howard wasn’t as long-term a coach, nor did the school refuse to cooperate as required by the NCAA during the Stallings investigation, which resulted in roughly $30 million in fines and a series of performance penalties.
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It’s a pattern, and a troubling one—and the incidents keep piling up.
Ultimately, fair or not, Manuel is responsible for it all.
This is part of the job. The perception of his department was at stake.
The same goes for the school, which should be one of the best ambassadors for the state.
It’s time to fix it.
Contact Sean Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. follow him @shaunwindsor.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Michigan State’s Ward Manuel needs fresh start after Sherron Moore news
