Michigan Terminates Sherrone Moore; Michigan State Welcomes Max Bullough Back

The University of Michigan fired Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore on December 10, 2025, following an internal investigation that uncovered credible evidence of an "inappropriate relationship" with an unidentified staff member, violating university policy on workplace conduct. Moore, who had served as the Wolverines' head coach for two seasons after succeeding Jim Harbaugh in 2024, compiled an 18-8 record, including a 9-3 mark in 2025 that earned a berth in the Citrus Bowl against Texas on December 31.

The dismissal, announced by athletic director Warde Manuel as effective immediately and for cause, spares the program a $14 million buyout on Moore's five-year contract, which paid him approximately $6.1 million for the current season. Associate head coach Biff Poggi, who previously filled in during Moore's suspension earlier this year related to the 2023 sign-stealing scandal, has been appointed interim head coach to lead preparations for the bowl game and stabilize the program amid the abrupt leadership vacuum.

Hours after his termination, Moore, 39, was detained by police in Saline and Pittsfield Township near Ann Arbor and booked into Washtenaw County Jail under protective custody, according to court records and law enforcement reports. The incident stemmed from a domestic dispute with his wife, during which Moore allegedly threatened self-harm, drove to the staff member's residence, forced entry, and held a knife to his own throat while refusing to leave and making threats against himself and the individual inside.

Authorities intercepted him at a nearby church using GPS tracking from his phone, provided by his wife, preventing further escalation. No formal charges have been filed as of December 11, and investigations into potential assault allegations continue; Moore's representatives have not commented, leaving the episode as a tragic coda to a tenure already shadowed by NCAA sanctions and internal rumors that had circulated since mid-November.

As Michigan grapples with the fallout, including risks to its 2026 recruiting class and roster retention via the transfer portal, rival Michigan State University announced a significant hire to bolster its revamped coaching staff under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who took over on December 1 following the dismissal of Jonathan Smith after a 4-8 season. Former Spartan linebacker Max Bullough, a two-time captain and All-Big Ten standout from the 2013 Rose Bowl championship team, is returning to East Lansing as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach alongside incumbent defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. The 33-year-old Bullough, whose family has a storied history in MSU football spanning generations, brings proven expertise from Notre Dame, where he coached linebackers for two seasons, contributing to a top-11 national ranking in yards allowed per game in 2024 and developing three NFL draft picks.

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Bullough's move, confirmed by multiple sources including SpartanMag and FootballScoop, also includes bringing Notre Dame assistant Tre Reader as linebackers coach, enhancing continuity on a defense that Fitzgerald retained Rossi to lead. The hire has ignited excitement among Spartan fans on social media, viewing it as a "home run" that evokes the Mark Dantonio era's success, with Bullough's 299 career tackles and post-playing stints at Cincinnati and Alabama underscoring his rising star status.

For Notre Dame, the departure compounds recent defensive staff turnover after reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship in January, potentially impacting linebacker development for stars like Drayk Bowen. Meanwhile, Michigan's search for a permanent coach—potentially targeting big names with extensions expiring elsewhere—intensifies pressure on Manuel to act swiftly, as the Wolverines eye a return to contention in a Big Ten landscape reshaped by realignment and NIL dynamics.

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