Sherrone Moore Could Be Punished Over Michigan Sign Stealing Scandal

Sherrone Moore is the latest Michigan football employee to be embroiled in the program’s sign-stealing scandal, and he could be the next coach to be punished by the NCAA for his role.

Moore faces a suspension and penalty for allegedly deleting 52 text messages sent to former Wolverines analyst Connor Stalions, a Class II misdemeanor — the same day in October that media reported Stalions was behind an illegal off-field sign-stealing operation.

Moore is one of seven employees of Michigan’s 2023 national champion team accused of violating NCAA rules, according to a draft of the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations (NOA), which ESPN obtained and is subject to change.

“Our athletic department and university continue to cooperate with the NCAA regarding our ongoing investigation,” Michigan spokesman Dave Ablauf told the Free Press Sunday when asked for comment. “We have no update on his status at this time.”

The university received the long-awaited draft NOA last week. A source with close knowledge of the situation said Sunday that the university will continue to allow the NCAA’s investigation to proceed before taking action. The source was granted anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Moore served as Michigan’s offensive coordinator last season, served as head coach for four games, and became the new coach two days after his boss, Jim Harbaugh, left for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers in January.

Moore’s deleted texts were later recovered through “device imaging,” and he “then provided them to enforcement personnel,” according to the draft NOA, which was obtained by ESPN. Moore is also considered a potential repeat offender by the NCAA. He was suspended for last year’s regular-season opener by the school for his role in contacting recruits during the COVID-19 recruiting blackout period. (Harbaugh received a three-game suspension, and that NOA was revealed last week.)

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Harbaugh, Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson and Stalions — the last three to leave in disgrace via firing or resignation — are charged with Level I violations, the NCAA’s most serious enforcement category. The draft also accuses former defensive coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale, now with the Chargers, of recruiting violations unrelated to Stalions’ scheme. Partridge, now a defensive assistant with the Seattle Seahawks, also has racked up multiple Level II violations.

Harbaugh is accused of failing to cooperate again for denying NCAA requests to review his personal phone texts and call records related to the case, which could expose him to a limited show-cause requirement if he were to return to college play. The NOA did not provide “any evidence that Harbaugh was involved in the Stallions operation or that he knew it was taking place,” ESPN wrote, but it said Harbaugh did not actively seek or evaluate “red flags.”

The company also alleges that multiple Michigan football interns and at least one full-time employee of the program knew about and participated in the cheating, but ESPN reports that Stallions misled each individual into believing their actions did not violate NCAA rules.

Stallions resigned in November after reports he refused to cooperate with investigations or discussions. He was suspended without pay for two weeks after the NCAA launched an investigation into his alleged ticket purchases at several Big Ten stadiums ahead of games against the Wolverines over the past three seasons.

( Order now:Celebrate Michigan’s title with Free Press commemorative books: Blue Reign and Maize & Grand, and check out special wall art from our front page the morning after the championship.)

Stalions is also under investigation for allegedly wearing a Central Michigan uniform while in disguise and roaming the sideline during the 2023 season opener against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. CMU reportedly fired quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner last week, who previously served as a student assistant at Michigan for four seasons, overlapping with Stalions.

Stalions, hired in May 2022 after several seasons of volunteering, is set to share his side of the scandal on Netflix, debuting in the Aug. 27 episode “Untold.” He is a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from Lake Orion High School in 2013, and both of his parents graduated from UM.

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Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the 2023 season by the Big Ten after he and the program dropped their lawsuit. Michigan also fired Partridge, the linebackers coach, in November for allegedly participating in an attempt to destroy evidence after the sign-stealing scandal became public.

The bad press only intensified after Michigan’s 15-win, 15-loss season: Robinson and new defensive line coach Greg Scruggs lost their jobs in the offseason after separate arrests for drunken driving.

Free Press Sports Writer Tony Garcia contributed to this article.