ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In a significant turn of events, former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore reached a plea agreement on Friday, addressing the legal troubles that emerged shortly after his dismissal for an inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant. Moore appeared in court to plead no contest to two misdemeanors, bringing a resolution to a case that had captured public attention.
The plea deal was finalized on the day a judge was slated to consider a challenge to Moore’s December arrest, which initially included three charges, one of which was a felony home invasion. In a compromise, those charges were dismissed in favor of Moore accepting responsibility for lesser offenses: trespassing and the malicious use of a telecom device.
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The charges stemmed from a confrontation with his former assistant, where Moore reportedly blamed her for his firing and made threats of self-harm with butter knives while at her apartment, according to authorities. This incident followed his abrupt termination on December 10, a dramatic end to his two-season tenure as Jim Harbaugh’s successor. Harbaugh had previously led Michigan to a national championship before departing for a coaching position with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
In a display of solidarity, Moore arrived at the courthouse with his wife, Kelli. The couple entered the courtroom hand-in-hand, fingers interlaced, presenting a united front amidst the legal proceedings.
He was fired on Dec. 10 after two seasons as the successor to Jim Harbaugh, who won a national championship before leaving to lead the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
Moore arrived at the courthouse with his wife, Kelli, and they walked toward the courtroom holding hands, interlacing fingers.
In dismissing Moore, the university cited an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Assistant prosecutor Katie Rezmierski said the woman ended the affair a few days before Moore’s firing and cooperated with the school’s investigation.
The AP isn’t identifying the woman, who has accused Moore of domestic violence and stalking. She did not answer a dozen calls or respond to some text messages from him before his dismissal, police said.
“It’s not stalking if the communication has a legitimate purpose,” said Ellen Michaels, Moore’s attorney.
Michaels has accused the woman’s personal lawyer of giving information to police to “villainize Mr. Moore and maximize the chances of obtaining a large settlement from the deep pockets of the University of Michigan.”
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
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