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Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi revealed this week that his players struggled with emotions of betrayal and anger before their bowl appearances, following the scandal involving former coach Sherrone Moore.
In his first press briefing after Moore was fired last week and subsequently jailed on three charges, including felony home invasion, Poggi told the media that he helped deal with players after the university revealed that Moore was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi answers a question during an NCAA college football Citrus Bowl news conference in Winter Park, Fla., Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of his team’s New Year’s Eve appearance against Texas in the bowl in Orlando, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“It’s been a tumultuous time,” Poggi said. via ESPN. “A lot of… first disbelief, then anger, then really, what we’re in right now is the kids, frankly, feel very betrayed, and we’re trying to get through that.”
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Poggi, who previously coached this season while Moore was serving a self-imposed suspension for prior NCAA violations, said he was doing his part with his actions “because words are cheap and they take a lot of time. What it really takes is you’re willing to listen.”
Moore appeared in a Washtenaw County court Friday, where his bond was set at $25,000 and included several conditions, including no contact with the alleged victim in the case. A not guilty plea was entered for him.
Prosecutors detailed the alleged events leading up to Moore’s arrest Wednesday, including that Moore had an “intimate relationship” with the Michigan staffer for “several years” and that on Monday the woman broke up with him.
Sherrone Moore, then head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, watches 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 STALKING, HOME INVASION CHARGES AS PROSECUTORS DETAIL DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS
Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer by phone and text after the breakup, prompting the victim to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate with its investigation. Moore was later fired from his job as head football coach, which prosecutors say prompted him to show up at the woman’s home.
Moore then allegedly “barged” into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of scissors, and then began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore told the staffer, “my blood is on your hands” and “you have ruined my life.”
The University of Michigan has hired a law firm to independently investigate the situation, and sources told The Associated Press that the investigation will extend beyond the football program to include the athletic department.
Michigan is scheduled to face Texas in the Citrus Bowl on December 31. Poggi said this week that the players had been given the opportunity to decide whether they wanted to take part in the match.
Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi watches his team play Nebraska during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Nebraska, September 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, file)
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“It’s not over yet, and I don’t expect it to be for a while. The mandate Warde Manuel gave me as athletic director when he asked me to be interim coach was to love and care for kids, and so that’s what I spend all my time on.”
The implications of the latest scandal to hit the Michigan program will likely extend beyond this season’s bowl game.
Of the 27 prospects who signed a commitment to play football there less than two weeks ago, at least two have already requested and been granted a release from Michigan.
