By LARRY LAGE and ED WHITE Associated Press
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman with whom he had been having an affair and threatened to kill himself after she reported the relationship to the school and he lost his job, prosecutors said Friday.
Moore was charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.
As he watched by video from jail, authorities laid out extraordinary allegations against Moore and provided details that answered a key question: What led Michigan to suddenly oust the 39-year-old coach Wednesday after his second season at the helm of the storied football program?
Moore and the woman had been having an affair “for a number of years” before she ended the relationship Monday, said Kati Rezmierski, Washtenaw County first assistant prosecutor.
Moore repeatedly called the woman and texted her, but she refused to respond, Rezmierski said.
“Eventually she presented herself to the University of Michigan. Cooperated in some form of an investigation. As we all now know (Moore) was fired from his employment,” the prosecutor said.
Moore was dismissed for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, the school said Wednesday without offering details.
Shortly after losing his job, Moore stormed into the woman’s apartment, “then proceeded to a kitchen drawer, grabbed several butter knives and a pair of kitchen scissors. And began to threaten his own life,” Rezmierski said.
The prosecutor quoted Moore as telling the woman: “I’m going to kill myself. I’m going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You’ve ruined my life.”
“She was terrorized,” Rezmierski said.
A not-guilty plea was entered on Moore’s behalf by District Court Magistrate Odetalla Odetalla, and he was released from jail after meeting the $25,000 bond. Moore said very little in court besides acknowledging that he must have no contact with the woman, among other conditions.
The court hearing was held just 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from Michigan Stadium where Moore, who is married and has three children, coached his last game against rival Ohio State in front of more than 100,000 fans on Nov. 29.
Defense attorney Joe Simon said Moore was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation after his arrest Wednesday and then returned to the jail.
He said Moore would “absolutely comply” with the judge’s order for an additional evaluation. Moore must wear a GPS tracking device, stay in Michigan and abstain from alcohol. The next court hearing was set for Jan. 22.
“There’s no evidence to suggest he’s a threat,” Simon said.
Moore signed a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $5.5 million last year. According to the terms of his deal, the university will not have to buy out the remaining years of his contract because he was fired for cause.
Moore, the team’s former offensive coordinator, was promoted to lead the Wolverines after they won the national title. He succeeded Jim Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers.
Michigan is set to play No. 14 Texas on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl. Biff Poggi, who filled in for Moore when he was suspended earlier this season in relation to a Harbaugh-era sign-stealing scandal, will serve as interim coach.
While the school seeks a new head coach, the Wolverines may lose players in the transfer portal this winter and donors who help fund revenue-sharing and NIL deals may hesitate to invest in the winningest program in college football history.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org
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