This month, the spotlight on Michigan’s football program was diverted to the Citrus Bowl, where interim coach Biff Poggi led the 18th-ranked Wolverines against the 13th-ranked Texas Longhorns, led by Arch Manning.
Amidst recent controversies, Michigan appointed former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to take over from Sherrone Moore, who was dismissed following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and an arrest on assault charges earlier in the month. Though Whittingham made a brief appearance in ESPN’s broadcast booth at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, Wednesday’s game was Poggi’s moment to shine, and he delivered impressively.
Before the game, Poggi revealed on a radio show that his strategy was to unleash freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who had spent much of the season concentrating more on running than passing.
Underwood validated Poggi’s faith by completing 14 of 24 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns as Michigan entered the fourth quarter trailing the favored Texas team by a narrow margin of 24-20. Despite a late third-quarter interception, Underwood bounced back early in the fourth with a remarkable rushing touchdown.
After a review confirmed the touchdown, a successful PAT gave Michigan a 27-24 lead.
While Moore’s scandal is the most prominent, it is not the only issue plaguing Michigan’s program.
Interim head coach Biff Poggi reacts during Michigan’s game against the Texas Longhorns
Poggi promised to unleash freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who looked good
Ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was arrested after he was fired on December 10
Moore was fired in Ann Abor earlier this month for an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a staffer. The married father of three has since been charged with breaking and entering, home invasion and stalking for allegedly entering a woman’s apartment, terrorizing her and threatening to harm himself in the aftermath of his dismissal.
According to police dispatch audio obtained by Daily Mail, an unidentified 911 caller claimed Moore assaulted her on December 10, adding that he had a knife and had been stalking her ‘for months.’ A dispatcher was later heard saying that the suspect was described by his wife Kelli as ‘suicidal’ after losing his job earlier in the day.
Police records show the alleged assault took place at the home of Moore’s executive assistant Paige Shiver. However, she has not been identified as the alleged victim or the person with whom Moore allegedly had an inappropriate relationship.
Moore was eventually granted a $25,000 bond and released. He has pleaded not guilty, and could face up to six years behind bars if convicted.
The 911 call that led to Moore’s arrest was made from an apartment belonging to his executive assistant, Paige Shiver (pictured). She has not officially been named as the alleged victim
Another coach, ex-Wolverines assistant Matt Weiss, was charged in March with hacking and identify theft for allegedly stealing thousands of private, intimate images from student athletes, mostly women, at more than 100 universities nationwide. Weiss has pleaded not guilty to all 24 charges and recently pushed for some charges to be dismissed.
The Justice Department is fighting Weiss’ attempts to dismiss the charges and has now submitted photos allegedly showing Weiss moments before hacking into University of Michigan computers in December of 2022, according to filings obtained by the Daily Mail. He was fired weeks after Michigan’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas Christian.
The Wolverines would win a national championship under head coach Jim Harbaugh the following season amid a separate, unrelated sign-stealing scandal. Harbaugh would leave for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 as Moore, the offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach.
Weiss (left) is seen coaching alongside Moore (right) when they both worked under Harbaugh
The scandals don’t end there. Director of football operations Jim Minick and assistant coaches Denard Robinson and Greg Scruggs were all arrested on suspicion of DUI in recent years.
Robinson, a former Wolverines quarterback, resigned in 2024. Scruggs, who played in the NFL, resigned before ever coaching in a single practice and now works for the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach.
As a result of the issues, the athletic department has reportedly launched an internal investigation into its culture. Jenner & Block, the Chicago-based law firm that opened the previous inquiry into Moore’s conduct, has been hired by the school to carry out the latest probe,’ according to ESPN.
While Moore’s dismissal will be a primary focus of the investigation, the wide-scoping inquiry will reportedly examine the numerous scandals that the school’s athletic programs have endured in recent years, including how they came about and how they were handled.
Michigan is among the most successful athletic programs in the NCAA. Aside from its recent national championship in football, it’s men’s basketball team currently ranks second in the country at 12-0, while its men’s hockey team is first in the nation at 16-4.
