The University of Michigan “will leave no stone unturned” in a thorough “evaluation of culture” in the school’s scandal-plagued athletic department, its president said Wednesday, days after football coach Sherrone Moore was fired and arrested.
Interim university President Domenico Grasso’s 3½-minute-long video address follows the Dec. 10 termination of Moore, who is alleged to have carried on an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member.
Moore was arrested hours later after, police said, he broke into his former lover’s home and threatened to kill himself, telling her that his “blood is on your hands,” prosecutors said.
“This past week has been a difficult one for the University of Michigan,” Grasso said.
“I want to underscore that the University of Michigan is committed to a campus culture of respect, integrity and excellence. That is why we took decisive action last week to terminate the employment of coach Moore and we are continuing the investigation of coach Moore’s actions to uncover any additional germane, material information and to assess whether there may be related misconduct by others.”
Earlier, the school announced it had hired the law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the Moore incident.
“We have expanded the Jenner & Block assignment to include an independent evaluation of culture, conduct and procedures throughout our athletics department,” Grasso said.
“In parallel, we are committed to strengthening the functional capacity of our university wide ethics, integrity and compliance office within the department of intercollegiate athletics.”
While Grasso’s address didn’t call out any other allegations of bad acts beyond those Moore is accused of, Moore’s termination and arrest were the latest in a string of recent embarrassing incidents that have rocked the Wolverines.
- Former assistant football coach Matthew Weiss was indicted and accused of breaking into the digital accounts of 3,300 students to download their intimate photos and videos, federal prosecutors said March 30.
- The Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies, 34-13, on Jan. 8, 2024, to win the national championship — though a massive sign-stealing scandal has since taken luster off that title. The Los Angeles Chargers hired Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh two weeks after he won that title.
- The NCAA announced in August that Harbaugh would be banned from working in college sports until 2028 over “unethical conduct” in recruiting. Harbaugh would later get another 10-year ban on top of the recruiting penalty because of the sign stealing, taking him out of any NCAA roles until 2038.
- Basketball coach Juwan Howard was suspended after he took a postgame swing at Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft on Feb. 20, 2022. Howard, the former “Fab Five” great, however, wasn’t fired until March 2024 after an 8-24 campaign.
“This is, no doubt, a challenging time for our community,” Grasso said.
“I understand the anger and disillusionment that many in our community may be experiencing but our core values and principles will be embodied in how we respond to these challenges and will reflect our character,” he said.
Under Moore, the Wolverines went 9-3 overall and 7-2 in the rugged Big Ten this season.
With interim coach Biff Poggi now at the helm, Michigan plays Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
“As we conduct our search for our next head football coach, we intend to hire an individual who can and will instill that spirit and who will represent the highest values that our university holds dear,” Grasso said.
“We will hire an individual who is of the highest moral character and who will serve as a role model and respected leader for the entire football program, and who will, with dignity and integrity, be a fierce competitor.”