ANN ARBOR, Mich. 鈥� Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore on Friday avoided a possible five-year prison sentence by pleading no contest to two misdemeanor charges for barging into the apartment of his executive assistant, with whom he had a relationship, while three other charges were dismissed.
Appearing in Ann Arbor鈥檚 14A District Court, Moore said nothing in court or outside other than to enter his no contest plea on the record. He faces up to six months in jail for a trespassing charge and a malicious use of a telecommunications device charge, the more serious of the two misdemeanors. He鈥檒l be sentenced at 2 p.m. April 14.
鈥淔rom the beginning, we maintain that the felony stalking charge and the entry without permission charge, all the charges against Mr. Moore were not supported by facts and law,鈥� said Ellen Michaels, Moore鈥檚 attorney, after the hearing.
Moore left 14A District Court holding the hand of his wife, Kelli, but didn鈥檛 make a statement to reporters.
The former coach had faced charges of third-degree home invasion, misdemeanor stalking and misdemeanor breaking and entering, but all three were dismissed as part of Friday鈥檚 deal. If he were to have been convicted of home invasion, the most serious of the three charges, Moore could have faced up to five years in prison.
Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski left 14A District Court without making a formal statement, but her office said the plea agreement was reached 鈥渇ollowing evaluation of the factual, evidentiary, and legal circumstances 鈥� and the overarching need for accountability and public safety.鈥�
鈥淚t is our hope that this resolution will ensure accountability and allow the victim an opportunity to heal and move forward,鈥� the statement read.
Washtenaw County鈥檚 14A District Court Judge Cedric Simpson said he reviewed the Pittsfield Township police report from when Moore was arrested in December after entering the home of his executive assistant.
鈥淭he court reviewed the Pittsfield Township police report and the court does find that there鈥檚 a sufficient factual basis in which the court could determine defendant鈥檚 guilt of these two offenses (trespass and malicious use of a telephone),鈥� Simpson said.
Rezmierski said during Friday鈥檚 hearing that the more appropriate charges to address Moore鈥檚 behavior in December are the two added misdemeanors, malicious use of a telephone and trespassing.
鈥淲e have arrived at that based on a thorough review of the additional involved evidence and investigation, as well as after consultation with, pursuant to our obligation of Crime Victim Rights Act, consultation with the victim, largely through her representatives in this matter,鈥� Rezmierski said, noting that there never has been enough evidence to prove or issue charges based on allegations of domestic violence against Moore. 鈥淲hat we do believe the evidence supports is criminal misbehavior in the context of an intimate partner relationship.鈥�
Though Moore pleaded no contest due to concerns of civil liability, his plea will be treated like a guilty plea for sentencing, despite not admitting guilt.
The plea agreement happened during what was supposed to be an evidentiary hearing on whether the arrest warrant against Moore was valid. Questions were raised because the officer who requested a magistrate sign the warrant didn鈥檛 disclose Moore was the boss of the woman he was accused of stalking.
Moore, who was fired from UM after the university said an investigation determined he鈥檇 had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, was arrested in December. Police and prosecutors said he entered the home of his administrative assistant, with whom he was having an affair, and threatened her and himself with kitchen knives.
But in late January, Michaels, Moore鈥檚 attorney, filed a motion to dismiss the home invasion, breaking and entering and stalking charges against the former football coach.
At Friday鈥檚 hearing, Michaels asked for Moore鈥檚 tether to be removed, but Simpson said he wanted to wait until the probation department interviews Moore for the presentence report.
鈥淣ow that those charges are dismissed, and the narrative of my client having a history of violence and stalking has now been proven to be false. It鈥檚 our position that a tether is no longer necessary,鈥� Michaels said.
Michaels has argued that the Pittsfield Township Police Department detective who sought criminal charges in front of a magistrate left out that Moore was the boss of the woman he was accused of stalking and he was allegedly contacting her repeatedly for work. Michaels argued the detective left out key details that could have led to the warrant not being issued in the first place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not stalking if the communication has a legitimate purpose,鈥� Michaels said.
Michaels said because their relationship was not presented to the magistrate and because Pittsfield Township Detective Jessica Welker relied on the woman鈥檚 attorney鈥檚 statement that there was a history of domestic violence, even though the victim herself did not say that, Welker presented false information.
The woman told police that the texts were work-related, Michaels said, including two texts from Dec. 9 and Dec. 10 reading 鈥減lease answer鈥� and 鈥渃an you call me when you get a chance?鈥�
She had no way of knowing if the calls were work-related, Michaels said, as she never answered them. Michaels said it鈥檚 her position that they were work-related, as there鈥檚 no evidence to show otherwise.
Moore was fired from his job on Dec. 10 after an independent investigation by the university found he鈥檇 had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. That same day, he allegedly entered his ex-girlfriend鈥檚 home without permission, pointed kitchen butter knives at her, then turned the knives on himself and threatened suicide.
According to prosecutors, Moore told the former staffer, with whom he鈥檇 been having a relationship, that 鈥渕y blood is on your hands.鈥�
Moore texted the woman, his executive assistant, several times the week of his arrest and called her 12 times without her answering, prosecutors allege. The woman鈥檚 contract with UM expired at the end of February and it was not renewed.
Michigan鈥檚 athletic director, Warde Manuel, fired Moore the same day as his arrest, Dec. 10, after the university independently determined he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Moore鈥檚 termination letter said he lied during the university鈥檚 investigation into his relationship. That amounted to a violation of his contract as 鈥渇raud or dishonesty鈥� in the course of his job鈥檚 duties.
Moore鈥檚 wife called 911 the day he was fired, before his arrest, out of fear he might harm himself, according to a recording of the emergency call obtained by The News. Moore had told her he鈥檇 been fired and was 鈥渋n crisis,鈥� his wife told the dispatcher, and she didn鈥檛 know where he was.
Moore was named UM鈥檚 head football coach in January of 2024, succeeding former coach Jim Harbaugh. He was the first Black head coach in Michigan football history, and, at 37, the youngest head football coach at Michigan in more than half a century.