Sherrone Moore update: University of Michigan investigated relationship last summer

Sherrone Moore firing: University began investigation in the summer

Author John U. Bacon says the University of Michigan was aware of problems within its football department since at least the summer.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Former University of Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and the staffer he had a relationship with were investigated by the university as recently as this past summer, according to author and historian John U. Bacon.

Bacon spoke with FOX 2's Ryan Ermanni Thursday morning, 18 hours after Moore was fired by athletic director Warde Manuel.

According to Bacon, the university was aware of an alleged affair between head coach Sherrone Moore since at least this past summer. The school investigated and questioned both Moore and the staffer and they both denied it.

However, she changed her stance Wednesday morning.

"That story changed yesterday morning when she went on the Hill, as we say, the administration office with the receipts, the text messages, the emails, documents and so on, laying out the details of their relationship and the conflicts thereof. And that, of course, resulted in Sherrone Moore being fired," Bacon said.

A few hours after the staffer went with the details, Manuel fired Moore in his office in a one-on-one meeting.

"The regents and the president had enough. Ward manual himself fires Sherrone Moore sometime after noon yesterday, one on one in their office," Bacon said.

But the Moore saga didn't end there. He was taken into custody in Pittsfield Township after police said he broke into the staffer's home and threatened her and himself with a knife.

"He broke into the employee's home in Pittsfield Township, which is between Ann Arbor and Saline, Michigan. (He) grabbed the knife, apparently, and threatened to harm her, and harm himself. And that's when he became into protective custody in Michigan," Bacon said.

Sherrone Moore Fallout: 911 dispatch audio includes ex-UM coach wielding knife, stalking woman

Friday afternoon, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office said Moore was charged with home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering.

Moore appeared virtually for his arraignment.

The relationship clearly did not come as a surprise to the university.

"They're working on those two issues. Who knew what and when. I guess I'll say this much in defense of the university. They did have the investigation internally this summer. And if both parties say there's nothing happening, there's not a lot else they can do other than respond to rumors," Bacon said.

The university has brought in an external law firm to investigate and Bacon says that will dictate what happens to Warde Manuel at the University of Michigan.

"I've been hearing these rumors for a while, but consenting adults, there's not a lot you can do," Bacon said. "Now, of course, that we're down to the nitty-gritty of reality based on the employees' report yesterday. Things have changed quite dramatically. Sherrone Moore's out of a job, and I doubt he'll ever be coaching football again."

Why the staffer came forward is unknown at this time, but Bacon says he's heard clues.

"I've got partial answers to that, but none right now I can share with authority," Bacon said. "We can we can certainly assume, Ryan, that from the investigation this summer when both parties said no how and no way, and yesterday morning, when she came with the receipts, as I said, lock, stock, and barrel, to exactly the person you're supposed to take it to, the general counsel and the administrators, that clearly something has soured between those two to make her do this. Now what that was is open to speculation."

"But clearly there was not a healthy relationship in any way at that point. So and of course got, almost, tragic last night," Bacon said.

Next for the university is up to the players.

"You'd have to ask, of course, the players, and there are 120 of them or so, so they might all have different answers. But certainly what happens in these situations, especially if it's this tumultuous and this sudden and frankly this unexpected on the grand scale," Bacon said.

He also said don't expect the university to sit on this problem for long.

"I've got this in pretty good authority actually, they're gonna hire a coach within five to ten days. Now, whether they hire an AD before that or not, I don't know. But that's gonna be a relatively fast process. And if that goes as fast as I've been told it's supposed to go, then the players are far more likely to stay. If it drags out, then they're far more likely to leave because these players have offers," Bacon said.

Who hires the head coach is unknown. 

"That is the biggest question right now, and I don't know. It depends on what the regions and the present decide about Ward Manuel's future. It's not the first time that his leadership has been called into question. But by the same token, he's won a whole lot of Big Ten titles, record a year, two years ago, and they're making big money. Those are obviously factors, but those should not be the only factors. And as you said, the hockey program, the basketball program, now the football program of all fired coaches in scandal. So how much of that can you take?" Bacon said.