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In the wake of former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore’s dismissal and subsequent arrest, the Wolverine football team is grappling with feelings of betrayal, as interim head coach Biff Poggi revealed to reporters on Monday.
Poggi now finds himself tasked with the challenging job of steering the team through the aftermath of Moore’s unexpected and dramatic exit. Moore was terminated last week following revelations of an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member, and his troubles deepened when he was arrested for breaking into the staffer’s home.
The charges against Moore are severe, including felony third-degree home invasion and the misdemeanors of stalking in a domestic relationship and breaking and entering, painting a troubling picture of the former coach’s actions.
Addressing the media for the first time since the scandal broke, Poggi was transparent about the emotional rollercoaster the team has been on. As they gear up to face No. 13 Texas and Arch Manning in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve, Michigan’s players have been processing a range of emotions.
“It has been a tumultuous time,” Poggi said. “A lot of … first disbelief, then anger, then really, what we’re in right now is the kids, quite frankly, feel very betrayed, and we’re trying to work through that.”
Since taking over, Poggi has spent a large chunk of his time speaking with players and distressed parents who have had plenty of questions since the news about Moore came out.
Michigan has begun to examine its entire athletic department as a result of the scandal and brought in law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the school’s athletic department and its culture.
In the meantime, Poggi has done what he can to comfort players and put “lots of arms around shoulders.”
“Lot of telling them that you love them, but showing it, because words are cheap, and that takes a lot of time. What it really takes is you being willing to listen,” he said.
“It’s been complicated. I want to listen to them. I want to understand what the kids are feeling and what their parents are feeling, and so a lot of listening, and there’s been a wide range of emotions, and we are going through those steps,” he added later.
“They’re not over yet, and I don’t expect them to be over for a while. The mandate that Warde Manuel gave me as the athletic director when he asked me to be the interim coach, was to love and take care of the kids, and so that’s what I’m spending all of my time doing.”
