Michigan stunned the sports world on Wednesday by firing Sherrone Moore, and a new report says the Wolverines coach was battling mental health issues before he lost his job.
Moore was fired for cause by Michigan on Wednesday after an investigation determined he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. A short while after the school announced the news, Moore was detained by police in Saline, Mich., and then turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department to face potential charges. The 39-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, though no charge against him has been made public yet.
According to a report from Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports, Michigan officials had been alerted prior to Wednesday that Moore was “dealing with mental health issues.”
Michigan had been alerted prior to Wednesday that Sherrone Moore was dealing with mental health issues yet Warde Manuel fired him alone with no HR rep and no security present, source told @NBCSports.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 11, 2025
John U. Bacon, a University of Michigan alum and best-selling author, reported on Thursday that Moore and the woman with whom Moore had a relationship were investigated by Michigan officials over the summer. Both denied having any unprofessional involvement with one another. But on Wednesday morning, Bacon says the woman went to the Michigan registration office with “receipts” (text messages, emails, etc.) proving that she and Moore were romantically involved.
Michigan then made the decision to fire Moore. After that happened, Moore allegedly went to the woman’s residence and threatened to harm her and himself with a knife.
Moore was reportedly being monitored by mental health professionals as of Thursday afternoon.
Police said Wednesday that a suspect was taken into custody after officers responded to a call “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault,” though the name of the suspect was not given.
Moore, 39, was in just his second season as the head coach at Michigan. He took over after his predecessor Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore went 18-8 (.692) overall and led the Wolverines to victory in the ReliaQuest Bowl last year.
