I’ll never forget where I was when I heard the news. I had just returned from a run on a rainy, 40-degree day and all I could think about was Stringer Bell’s temperature rant from The Wire
. I stood in the kitchen with my wife, drinking water, and catching up about our days. Mid-conversation, she received a news alert on her phone, gasped, looked at me and said, “Andy…Michigan fired Sherrone Moore.”It felt like the ending of The Usual Suspects — I nearly dropped my glass of water to the floor at her
final syllable. She repeated herself and I still couldn’t grasp what she was saying. Just a few hours earlier, Moore had reportedly interviewed ($) Mike Shula to be the new quarterbacks coach. A few days ago, Moore was in incredibly high spirits addressing the media about the upcoming bowl game. And last week, Moore hired Kerry Coombs as the new special teams coordinator.
I was confused, shocked, even. Like some of you that may be reading this, I had heard the rumors for several weeks about Moore’s alleged misconduct, but this was a drastic escalation of what was initially perceived as message board fodder.
I’m sure Michigan fans felt similarly caught off guard in the ‘90s when Gary Moeller resigned abruptly following his arrest. But this felt deeper. At first, the news washed over the internet like any scandal. The memes spread far and wide and we all braced for impact as the national punchline. But as more information came to light, the darker the situation became. The media coverage devolved into a weird competition of who-knew-what-first victory laps. Engagement farming that resembled “If you paid attention to the one-off comment I made six podcasts ago, you would not be surprised and you are a true ball knower,” made the rounds. Like any of that fucking matters, but the hubris of feeling right will always remain a valuable currency on the internet. I digress.
As words like “assault” and “self-harm” entered the fray, suddenly the story became less entertaining and more sad. Moore is in police custody as of this writing, and although everything appears to have quieted down for now, something tells me the dust hasn’t begun to settle. Details surrounding all the events on Wednesday afternoon are still being uncovered, but the darkest day for the program of the last 25 years — maybe ever — is going to have further ramifications.
Is this the end of Warde Manuel’s tenure as Athletics Director? Known to bury his head in the sand to escape smoke and drag his feet in moments that require action — see the end of Mel Pearson as hockey coach, Juwan Howard slapping opposing coaches, or really anything to do with Jim Harbaugh — Manuel may have finally run into something that the hiring of Dusty May, his one inarguably great decision, cannot shield him from.
What happens to the team? The Wolverines play against Texas in 20 days and have one of the most promising young rosters in the country. And just last week, Moore signed the No. 11 recruiting class. Selfishly, is the fan tax for Moore’s misconduct really going to be watching guys like Bryce Underwood, Andrew Marsh, Jordan Marshall, Andrew Babalola, Carter Meadows and Savion Hiter play for someone else? The transfer portal on Jan. 2, and you can be sure the vultures have already contacted families and agents looking to pick apart the remains left by Moore.
And most importantly of all this, what happens to Moore’s family? This man has a wife and three daughters, and Christmas is two weeks away. The pain of realizing Santa Claus isn’t real is a prerequisite to adolescence, but the pain of publicly and forcibly finding out your dad is an even bigger fraud shouldn’t be a realization they have to face this morning.
Looking to the future, these questions far outweigh the answers at the moment. Quite frankly, the shock hasn’t fully worn off. It has been less than two years since Michigan won a national championship, yet the Wolverines are already in search of a new tomorrow.
I am reminded of another Wire quote: “…the thing about the old days, they the old days.” Michigan is in danger of becoming a program of the past; a shadow giant similar to Florida or Nebraska, fading into irrelevance. Even if new leadership can save the day and right the ship, this is a reminder of the fragility of success and how quickly everything can be smashed.
