michigan Coach Sharon Moore was fired on Wednesday after a university investigation found “credible evidence” that she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
“This conduct is a clear violation of university policy and UM has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement Wednesday.
Biff Poggi was named interim coach.
This news ends Moore’s Michigan coaching career at 17–8, ending a 9–3 season with a 27–9 loss to Ohio State in his final game. The 39-year-old had completed two years of his five-year contract as the Wolverines’ head coach, and being fired for cause by the school means he doesn’t plan to pay the approximately $12.3 million owed on his deal.
Moore was promoted to head coach of Michigan in the wake of Jim Harbaugh’s departure for the NFL following Michigan’s 2023 national title.
Moore faced some off-field controversies prior to his dismissal, including suspensions in Week 3 and Week 4 of this season involving the Connor Stallions’ illegal advanced scouting scheme.
Moore also served an additional one-game suspension to begin the 2026 season. He was also suspended for the opening match of the 2023 season as part of a self-imposed penalty for breaking recruitment rules.
Moore was a successful offensive line coach and offensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2023, when he was the playcaller on Michigan’s national title team.
The firing has left Michigan with the difficult decision of finding a coach in the wake of what is considered the most unstable coaching carousel in recent college football history. There has already been a flurry of appointments and extensions, which will complicate Michigan’s search.
