How the industry is reacting to Michigan firing Sherrone Moore: 'Didn't think it was actually going to happen'

With most of the carousel settled, Michigan's decision forces a rare late-cycle reset and could reshape the remaining coaching market.

Sherrone Moore's sudden firing by Michigan did not shock many in the industry, but the timing did.

"This was the worst-kept secret," one industry source told CBS Sports, echoing the sentiment of several others who said rumors of Moore's misconduct with a staff member had been rampant well before the termination became official. 

Multiple sources expressed surprise not that Moore was fired, but that the move came after the early signing period and with most of the coaching carousel already settled. "We'd heard about it a while ago," one agent said. "Just didn't think it was actually going to happen since we're all the way through the cycle now."

A high-level Michigan booster told CBS Sports that Moore's conduct had been widely known inside the building. "Everybody in the program has known this the last two seasons," the booster said, adding that Schembechler Hall was "swarming with lawyers" earlier this month. The booster also expressed concern for those affected. "This is a sad day to see it come to this. I feel horrible for all the players, coaches and families who are going to be disrupted. And I don't know what becomes of Sherrone."

Moore was in police custody Wednesday afternoon and was still in custody as of Thursday morning; in a statement that did not name Moore, the Pittsfield Police Department said officers responded to a location at 4:10 p.m. "for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault" and took a suspect into custody. 

Industry reaction focused on what's next for Michigan rather than Moore and the late timing of the firing immediately shifted focus to the search and whether Michigan is already moving in a specific direction. "I wonder if this means they're already down the road with somebody and have a plan," one industry source said.

One Power Four athletics director believes that's the case. 

"I'm going to give Warde (Manuel) credit," the AD said. "I'm going to be shocked if he doesn't have a plan and they haven't already done something." 

Several potential candidates were quickly linked to the job by agents and industry insiders, including Kalen DeBoer, Brian Kelly, Jedd Fisch, Manny Diaz, Tony Elliott and Jesse Minter. The popular Minter was Michigan's defensive coordinator during its 2023 national championship season and followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he now leads the NFL's No. 4-ranked defense. The 42-year-old remains under a show-cause order through April 2026 as a result of NCAA recruiting violations, but if he was who Manuel really wanted, one AD doubted a few months would be a dealbreaker.

Other names floated ranged from the likes of Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and Missouri Eliah Drinkwitz to Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Lea and Drinkwitz both recently agreed to contract extensions with their respective schools. 

"If I'm Alabama, I'm sitting down with Kalen DeBoer tonight," one agent said Wednesday evening. "Who's still out there who hasn't re-done it? It's DeBoer." Alabama and DeBoer play at Oklahoma next week in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

Another agent called it "the wildest cycle yet," which is backed up by rough turnstile numbers, adding that Michigan now finds itself behind the curve. "They've missed out on a bunch at this point," the agent said. "They have to have an idea of who they can get at the very least if they made this move right now."

A second Power Four athletic director told CBS Sports that the immediate priority must be stabilizing the program internally before any external pursuit accelerates.

"As an AD, I go back to the personnel and the players," the administrator said. "They need to be heard and they need guidance. You go in and talk to them, inform them of the situation and what's next and reaffirm your commitment to doing what's best for them. You always have to do that."

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The same administrator added that Michigan's next steps will likely be shaped by how sudden the change was. Search firms, the AD said, become especially important in late-cycle upheaval, and coaches who recently signed extensions may be difficult to pry away. Still, the expectation remains that interest will be strong. "There will be several big-time names who would express interest if contacted," the AD said.

One AD pointed to Michigan general manager Sean Magee as a critical stabilizing force who would be charged with keeping the roster intact and providing a calming presence amid chaos.

John Talty and Matt Zenitz contributed reporting