ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Former University of Michigan head football coach Sharon Moore was arrested Wednesday, court documents show, just hours after the university announced he had been fired for “an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

The 39-year-old coach was booked into the Washtenaw County Jail on Wednesday evening, according to court records. Jail records did not indicate the reason for the arrest or a possible court date.

In response to media inquiries, the Pittsfield Police Department released a statement that did not name anyone. According to police, officers were called to an alleged assault in the Pittsfield area — a few miles south of Michigan Stadium — and arrested one person.

Police said the incident was “not accidental” and there was no threat to the public; the person arrested will remain in custody pending a review by prosecutors.

The police statement said:
“Due to the nature of the allegations and the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to release any further information at this time.”

The University of Michigan said it had fired Moore for cause after evidence of an affair with an employee, culminating in a two-year stint that was marred by a slump in team performance and NCAA sanctions.

“This behavior is a clear violation of university policy and we have no tolerance or tolerance for such behavior,” said Ward Manuel, the university’s athletic director.

Details about the relationship were not disclosed. Moore, who is married with three daughters, did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Moore went 9-3 this season, and 8-5 in his rookie season.

He signed a five-year contract last year with a base salary of $5.5 million. Since his dismissal was “for good cause,” the university will not have to pay severance pay.

The most successful college football program in the country will now be looking for its third head coach in four years, following a busy cycle that saw Linkefin move from Mississippi to LSU.

Moore, previously the team’s offensive coordinator, was named head coach after the team won the 2023 national championship and Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Wolverines, now ranked 18th (9-3), are scheduled to face 14th-ranked Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.

Biff Pugh, who replaced Moore this year when he was suspended, has been named interim head coach.

Moore was initially suspended by the university for two games this season and the NCAA added another game to his suspension for violations related to the sign-stealing scandal.

He had previously deleted a 52-message thread with “Connor Stallions” — the man responsible for the sign-stealing operation — from his phone, which were reconstructed and submitted to the NCAA.

Once Harbaugh’s top assistant and a rising star, Moore had worked his way up from the bottom, from a teaching assistant at Louisville to an assistant at Central Michigan, where he caught Harbaugh’s eye and joined Michigan as tight ends coach in 2018.

He was promoted to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2021 and played a key role in the team’s return to the top, leading to its first national championship in 26 years.

He also temporarily took over for four games in the 2023 season while Harbaugh was suspended. He also served another game for recruiting violations.

Other universities have fired coaches for similar reasons in recent years, including Michigan State University's firing of Mel Tucker in 2023 and Arkansas' firing of Bobby Petrino in 2012.

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