By Kyle Golik
Since the Connor Stalions episode surfaced, it seemed Michigan fans had exhaled, hoping it was behind them. Whether it was Michigan completing their first sole national championship since the Truman administration last season, Stalions’ resignation, or former coach Jim Harbaugh jettisoning Michigan for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, many hoped those involved were now gone and it was full speed ahead for the Sherrone Moore era in Ann Arbor.
Those hopes are potentially dashed as ESPN’s Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel received an advanced copy of the draft of the potential Notice of Allegations that may be issued to Michigan. Inside the draft, which ESPN prefaces it could be “subject to changes,” it alludes that Moore could receive a show-cause penalty, a penalty that could levy a potential suspension, for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with Stalions in October 2023.
The significance of these messages was that Stalions, on the same day media reports detailed the espionage operations he led, was planning an effort to capture the play-calling signals of future opponents Michigan had on their College Football Playoff course.
Investigators were able to recover the deleted messages using a device imaging technique that captures message remnants to connect Moore to the operation. While the offense in nature is a Level 2 violation with the NCAA, Moore would not be a first-time offender due to impermissible contact with recruits during the COVID-19 dead period.
While we have to understand that this isn’t official news on Moore, it continues the gray clouds that seem to be hanging over Ann Arbor. Former Michigan coaches and staffers Harbaugh, Stalions, Chris Partridge, and Denard Robinson are suggested to have Level 1 violations to contend with, the most severe the NCAA can allege. Additionally, the draft paints a picture of a lack of institutional control with a “pattern of noncompliance within the football program” and Michigan trying to obstruct various NCAA investigations.
Legendary Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler believed in the team from top to bottom. Michigan players, fans, and alums know “The Team” speech like no other. Schembechler emphasized that from his level down to the last player, coach, and staffer, everyone needed to know this.
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Schembechler once discussed when an organization loses its ways and gets caught: “Every coach, every executive, every leader: They all know right from wrong. Even those Enron guys. When someone uncovers a scandal in their company, I don’t think they can say, “I didn’t know that was going on.” They’re just saying they’re too dumb to do their job! And if they really are too dumb then why are they getting paid millions of dollars to do it? They know what’s going on.”
When I began covering the Michigan fallout last fall, I wrote in one of my columns, “…everyone on Harbaugh’s staff is an extension of Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh never led with proper integrity when you begin to look at the actions of his staff in his program.”
When I look at the allegations Moore is accused of, it seems Michigan failed itself, by selecting him as Harbaugh’s successor or was the decision more strategic?
In my mind, Moore was hired to replace Harbaugh as a placeholder until the penalties were levied due to the gross misconduct committed by the Michigan program. Given all the allegations, if Moore performs well as head coach, then Michigan is prepared to keep him in that role. I also believe that any elite head coach prospect would be reluctant to deal with the potential penalties Michigan might face, especially with a stacked Big Ten.
On the surface, selecting Moore was atrocious by Michigan. If the allegations prove to be true, how can anyone in that football program or athletic department be trusted or seen as ethical to do the right thing. Moore tampering with evidence would be career suicide.
If Michigan were not facing these serious allegations, would Moore even be the head coach for the Wolverines? I seriously doubt it. Moore’s resume doesn’t qualify him to be head coach of a blue-blood program. Right place, right time, you say? Maybe Moore is just a sacrificial lamb for the misconduct Michigan committed.
