(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Michigan's athletic department is the subject of a new independent investigation to unearth details regarding whether officials and staff had knowledge of the subordinate relationship that led to head coach Sherrone Moore being fired.

Moore was fired 'with cause' last week when athletic director Warde Manuel cited 'credible evidence' of an inappropriate relationship with a paid staffer. Now Manuel is on alert as the reeling Wolverines must determine how to proceed, facing urgency to hire Moore's successor.

Michigan promoted Moore in January 2024 after ending a scandal-laced season in 2023 as undefeated national champions under Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh left to become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, creating the opening.

Fallout from the latest situation surrounding Moore continues to expand and includes a massive window for all players to transfer. The transfer portal officially opens to all current college football players on Jan. 2, and NCAA rules grant players at programs undergoing a coaching change a 15-day window to leave for another school.

Moore, who is married with three children, has not commented publicly since he was fired, setting off a dramatic chain of events and legal entanglement.

Harbaugh said Tuesday in an appearance on the 'Dan Patrick Show' that he was able to make contact with Moore and encouraged him to 'take care of his family.'

'It's a tragedy,' Harbaugh said. 'The worst days of his life. Keep it together and take care of your family, that's the message -- and getting spiritual guidance, you know, is really critical.'

Current Michigan basketball coach Dusty May hasn't connected with Moore since he was fired but weighed in on the matter this week.

'The football stuff, obviously some poor decisions made across the board,' May said. 'Everyone involved is a human being and every decision impacts other human beings. And so, I just pray for families that are impacted and their lives and their children are impacted.

'I don't have the solutions to a lot of the world's problems. But man, if we all just tried to be better human beings, better world civilians and what not, I think we would all have a much greater impact.'

Moore first came to Michigan to be tight ends coach in 2018. He had been co-offensive coordinator with Matt Weiss in 2022, but Weiss was fired in January 2023 after an internal review found he 'inappropriately accessed the computer accounts of other individuals.' Weiss was indicted on 24 federal charges in March 2025 for allegedly hacking into hundreds of private, student accounts of female athletes, accessing 'intimate digital photographs and videos,' according to the indictment.As offensive coordinator at the time, Moore twice served as interim coach during two Harbaugh suspensions in the 2023 season.

The 2023 season netted a perfect record, conference championship and the national title trophy, but the university is holding the bag for the significant cost stemming from allegations during that season. An NCAA investigation brought show-cause penalties from the NCAA for Moore and Harbaugh for evading or 'intentionally misleading' investigators searching for details of a sign-stealing effort by Connor Stalions, a now-infamous volunteer staffer.

Even still, if not for his most recent missteps, Moore, 39, could be preparing the Wolverines for a high-profile bowl game against Texas in Orlando. That assignment fell to interim coach Biff Poggi following Moore's dismissal and arrest last week.

As Moore and the rest of the world learned of charges including felony third-degree home invasion and stalking and breaking and entering misdemeanors, the remaining staff and players were reeling at the thought of coping with a new reality.

'It has been a tumultuous time,' Poggi said in Orlando on Monday. 'A lot of ... first, disbelief, and anger. Really, what we're in right now is the phase of -- the kids, quite frankly, feel very betrayed. And we're trying to work through that.'

Poggi was associate head coach under Harbaugh at Michigan from 2021-22 and was Charlotte head coach in 2023-24, going 6-16 before he was fired. Poggi was back in Ann Arbor this season and became the Wolverines' acting head coach for two games in September while Moore served a suspension for his role in the sign-stealing scandal.

Poggi said he is doing his best to keep players at the forefront before refocusing on football and Texas.

'Multiple levels of complexity that our young people are dealing with, our university's dealing with, our athletic director Warde Manuel's dealing with,' Poggi said in low, measured tones. 'You know, our team, our coaches and our kids (too). It's been ... I don't know that you can prepare for something like this. It's been, I'll just say, complicated.'

Poggi indicated he has met with all of the players and their parents via Zoom on several occasions.

'The message has been listening, right? I want to listen to them,' Poggi said. 'I want to understand what the kids are feeling and what their parents are feeling. And so, a lot of listening. There has been a wide range of emotions, as you can imagine. We're kind of going through those steps. They're not over yet, and I don't expect them to be over for a while, quite frankly.'

Michigan's payout for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and a percentage take from the Big Ten postseason revenue share is owed to the NCAA, and the program could face litigation if it's found university officials, administrators and others were aware of Moore's alleged extra-marital relationship with a subordinate on staff.

Among candidates thought to be in consideration for Moore's now-vacant post are Harbaugh's defensive coordinator with the Chargers and a former U-M assistant, Jesse Minter.

'I still don't have my head wrapped around it,' Harbaugh said on the 'Dan Patrick Show.' 'It's a tragedy, and just praying for all concerned. I love my alma mater. I love Michigan. But I love the Chargers, too, and I would be doing a disservice if I wasn't putting all my focus on this game. This is the most important game for us.'

Harbaugh told Patrick he is not involved in Michigan's search for a new coach. Manuel is leading that initial search, and Poggi said he told players and recruits Michigan is hopeful a new coach will be in place Jan. 1.

Members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents met with Manuel last Thursday (Dec. 10) and some went public with thoughts on the matter, emphasizing transparency.

'The decision to retain Jenner & Block as an independent third party to thoroughly investigate what happened and how it was allowed to happen is a necessary first step. My expectations are clear: the findings of that investigation must be made public,' regent Jordan Acker said in a social media statement.

'Transparency is essential to restoring trust and meeting the expectations of the people of this state, our students, our faculty, our alumni, and everyone who believes in the values this university is supposed to represent. Anything less would fall short of who we claim to be.'

--Field Level Media