ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore threatened to kill himself in front of a woman with whom he had been having an affair after she broke off the relationship and reported it to school officials, prosecutors said Friday, charging him with stalking and home invasion.
The university fired the 39-year-old Wednesday, saying he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. He was subsequently arrested and spent two nights in jail.
First Assistant Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said Moore was fired after the woman told university officials this week that he had repeatedly called and texted her.
Rezmierski said Moore went to the woman’s apartment after he was fired and “terrorized” her.
Moore “grabbed several butter knives and kitchen scissors and began to threaten his own life,” she 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.”
Moore appeared virtually on a television monitor at the arraignment on Friday. He was sitting in a compact, bare room wearing a white jumpsuit with his hands cuffed in front of him.
Defense attorney Joe Simon said Friday, “There’s no evidence to suggest he’s a threat.”
Michigan has not disclosed details of the alleged relationship but said an investigation found credible evidence against Moore, who is married with three young daughters. Athletic director Warde Manuel said the behavior was “a clear violation of university policy.”
Washtenaw County Magistrate Judge Odetalla Odetalla granted Moore a $25,000 bond. While out on bond, Moore will be required to complete mental health treatment, wear a GPS tracking device, stay in Michigan and abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs. Odetalla also issued a stark warning to Moore not to make “any form of contact that the human mind can possibly fathom” with the alleged victim, who will not be named in any of the court filings throughout the trial.
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.
Moore, the team’s former offensive coordinator, was promoted to lead the Wolverines after they won the national title. He succeeded Jim Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers.
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 Harbaugh-era sign-stealing scandal, will serve as interim coach.
While the school seeks a new head coach, the Wolverines may lose players in the transfer portal this winter and donors who help fund revenue-sharing and NIL deals may hesitate to invest in the winningest program in college football history.
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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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