Michigan expands investigation after firing Sherrone Moore, AP source says
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The law firm hired by the University of Michigan to investigate former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with a staffer will continue its probe of the program and is prepared to expand its inquiry throughout the athletic department, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details.
Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday, when the school said an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He is married with three daughters.
The 39-year-old Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors said on Friday he “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.
Athletic director Warde Manuel told the school’s board during the season that he asked Moore and the woman if they were in a relationship and both denied it, according to the people familiar with the situation. They said Manuel told the board that he reviewed hundreds of text messages and emails between Moore and the woman on their school-issued cellphones and computers and did not discover anything inappropriate.
The school later hired a law firm to investigate the matter further and it began working on campus on Monday, when the woman did not show up to work, according to the two people. They said her attorney met with the firm on Tuesday and she provided evidence of her relationship with Moore on Wednesday, when Manuel fired Moore without human resources or campus police present.
Well before Manuel’s inquiry and the law firm’s investigation, a social media influencer outside the state contacted the school to express concerns about Moore’s behavior, two people familiar with the situation said.
Moore faces charges including felony home invasion and stalking.
He and the woman had been having an affair “for a number of years” before she ended the relationship Monday, said Kati Rezmierski, a Washtenaw County prosecutor. Moore repeatedly called the woman and texted her, but she refused to respond, Rezmierski said.
Shortly after losing his job, Moore stormed into the woman’s apartment, “then proceeded to a kitchen drawer, grabbed several butter knives and a pair of kitchen scissors. And began to threaten his own life,” Rezmierski said.
The prosecutor quoted Moore as telling the woman: “I’m going to kill myself. I’m going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You’ve ruined my life.”
A plea of not guilty was entered on Moore’s behalf and he was released from jail after meeting the $25,000 bond. Moore said very little in court besides acknowledging that he must have no contact with the woman, among other conditions.
Defense attorney Joe Simon said Moore would “absolutely comply” with the judge’s order for an additional evaluation. Moore must wear a GPS tracking device, stay in Michigan and abstain from alcohol. The next court hearing was set for Jan. 22.
Moore signed a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $5.5 million last year. According to the terms of his deal, the university will not have to buy out the remaining years of his contract because he was fired for cause.
No. 18 Michigan is set to play No. 14 Texas on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl. Biff Poggi, who filled in for Moore when he was suspended earlier this season in relation to a Jim Harbaugh-era sign-stealing scandal, will serve as interim coach.
The school is searching for a coach and hopes to make a hire this month to help it retain recruits and give players enough confidence in the program to stay out of the transfer portal next month.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
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