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Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi revealed this week that his players are battling feelings of betrayal and anger ahead of their bowl game appearance in the wake of the scandal involving former coach Sherrone Moore.
In his first media availability since Moore was fired last week and subsequently jailed on three charges, including a felony domestic battery, Poggi told the media that he has been helping players process after the university revealed Moore had been fired for having an inappropriate relationship with an employee.
Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi answers a question during an NCAA college football Citrus Bowl news conference in Winter Park, Florida, on Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of his team’s New Year’s Eve appearance against Texas in the bowl in Orlando, Florida. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“It’s been a tumultuous time,” said Poggi, via ESPN. “Very … disbelief at first, then anger, so really, what we’re in right now is the kids, frankly, feel very betrayed and we’re trying to work through that.”
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Poggi, who stepped in as coach earlier this season as Moore served a self-imposed suspension for previous NCAA violations, said he’s doing his part through his actions “because words are cheap and it takes a lot of time. What it really takes is that you’re willing to listen.”
Moore appeared in a Washtenaw County court on Friday, where his bond was set at $25,000 and included several conditions, including no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A plea of not guilty was entered for him.
Prosecutors detailed the alleged events that led to Moore’s arrest Wednesday, including that Moore had entered into an “intimate relationship” with the Michigan employee for “a number of years” and that the woman broke up with him on Monday.
Then-Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore looks on during the college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 19, 2024 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SHERRONE MOORE FACES PROSECUTION, CHARGES IN HOME INVASION AS ACCUSED DETAILS Aggravating ALLEGATIONS
Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting staff via phone calls and text messages after the break-in, prompting the victim to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in the investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as a football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at the woman’s home.
Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of scissors and then began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told staff, “my blood is on your hands” and “you ruined my life.”
The University of Michigan hired a law firm to independently investigate the situation, and sources told The Associated Press that the investigation will expand beyond the football program to include the athletic department.
Michigan is scheduled to face Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. Poggi said this week that the players have been given the opportunity to decide whether to participate in the game.
Michigan acting head coach Biff Poggi looks on as his team plays against Nebraska during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)
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“They’re not over yet, and I don’t expect them to be over for a while. The mandate that Warde Manuel gave me as athletic director when he asked me to be the interim coach was to love and take care of the kids, and so that’s what I spend all my time doing.”
The ramifications of the latest scandal to plague the Michigan program will likely extend beyond this season’s bowl game.
Of the 27 prospects who signed commitments to play football there less than two weeks ago, at least two have already requested and been released by Michigan.
