University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore finally broke his silence on his role in the Connor Stalions scandal on Tuesday. His singular comment about the matter does not make any sense.
It directly contradicts the entire premise of the ongoing controversy.
Moore, the interim head coach during Jim Harbaugh’s multiple suspensions in 2023, was elevated to the full-time job when his successor left for the Los Angeles Chargers. This will be his first full season at the helm.
As the Wolverines prepare for their national championship defense, they are also dealing with an ongoing NCAA investigation related to the sign-stealing that was discovered last year. The NCAA dropped its Notice of Allegations earlier this month and it could lead to a postseason ban down the road.
Moore is implicated in the N.O.A. for a Level II violation.
He deleted 52 texts with Stalions, the alleged mastermind behind the sign-stealing. The texts were later recovered via “device imaging” and Moore “subsequently produced them to enforcement staff.”
Here is where things get convoluted. It is safe to assume that if someone deletes a messaging thread, he or she is actively trying to hide those messages— right?!
Sherrone Moore deleted the conversation with Connor Stalions because he didn’t want people to read his messages with the disgraced assistant and tried to erase any potential ties between them. That’s pretty obvious.
However, Moore essentially said the exact opposite on Tuesday.
I’ll just say this: I look forward to [the texts] being released.
— Sherrone Moore
Why would he look forward to the public release of something he tried to hide? The math doesn’t add up.
Maybe the deleted thread is completely innocuous and won’t reveal any wrongdoing. But that doesn’t change the fact that Michigan’s head football coach deleted them in the first place.
All kinds of questions remain unanswered about Sherrone Moore’s connection to Connor Stalions.