Sherrone Moore firing: Adam Schefter claims people were 'out to get' former Michigan coach prior to scandal breaking

Sherrone Moore was fired at Michigan on Wednesday after an internal investigation uncovered the second-year head football coach allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel announced in a statement. Hours after his firing, Moore was arrested following an alleged assault and remains in custody in the Washtenaw County Jail as of Thursday morning, local officials told ESPN.

“The matter involving Mr. Moore remains under active investigation by law-enforcement, and as a result, we do not expect charging decisions or an arraignment today,” the Washtenaw County Prosecutors Office told ESPN’s Dan Wetzel on Thursday. “Mr. Moore remains in custody at the Washtenaw County Jail.”

Given the chaotic events that transpired on Wednesday, Moore hasn’t had an opportunity to defend himself against the salacious allegations that led to his firing. But during a lengthy discussion on Thursday morning’s First Take, ESPN insider Adam Schefter — a Michigan alum and fan — suggested there could be more to Moore’s shocking ouster than originally revealed, including the coach’s belief that there were some within the administration that were “out to get him.”

“Now, I want to be very clear, this is the Michigan version and Sherrone Moore is entitled to his version. And I think he would agree with what (Stephen A. Smith suggested) that there were people out to get him. I think he actually, definitely would agree with that, and has felt that way as a coach at the University of Michigan,” Schefter said Thursday morning. “But I think in this particular case, both things can be right. There were people that were out to get him, perhaps, and he was made to feel a certain way. And there was evidence that turned up that implicated him in the school’s eyes that led to the school to act the way that it did. I think in this case, both things can actually be true.”

Manuel’s statement on Wednesday afternoon explicitly stated Moore was fired “with cause, effectively immediately,” after a university investigation found evidence Moore had an alleged “inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” which was a violation of school policy. But Schefter believes Moore’s version of events might counter that particular narrative.

Adam Schefter on Sherrone Moore firing: ‘All I’m saying is he’s got his side that we haven’t heard’

“He has his version of how these events transpired. He has his version of thinking people were out to get him. He has his version for the way this unfolded. He has his version of that relationship with that staffer where the school says was an inappropriate relationship that the school clearly feels like it has evidence to prove that’s the case,” Schefter continued. “(Michigan) wouldn’t just go, I don’t believe, and fire him for cause if it didn’t have some sort of smoking gun. But again, Sherrone Moore is allowed to say, ‘Hey, you’re saying this, but this is what happened, and this is my version of the story.’ I don’t know how he would respond to that, and what evidence he has that that is not true. But clearly the school feels like it has overwhelming evidence that it had no choice to make this (firing) decision.”

After some pushback from fellow ESPN colleague Paul Finebaum, Schefter clarified his comments.

“Paul, let me be clear, I’m saying the school fired him for cause because it felt it had reason. I’m saying that we haven’t heard Sherrone Moore’s version of events. All I’m saying is he’s got his side that we haven’t heard,” Schefter concluded. “I’m just trying to give a voice from someone we haven’t heard from that’s had his personal and professional life completely upended. Clearly, there are questions about his judgment. We’re not here to argue that.

“But again, he can’t defend himself. And I’m not trying to defend him, I’m just trying to say this is what could be happening and he’s entitled to his version of events, whatever they are.”