Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday he has exchanged text messages with former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore following Moore’s firing and arrest last week for his affair with his assistant Paige Shiver.
Harbaugh was asked whether he had any involvement or input in the Michigan coaching search, and he said he did not.
Harbaugh, appearing on “The Dan Patrick Show,” described the situation surrounding Moore as “a tragedy” and said he was “still processing” the events. Moore, who succeeded Harbaugh at Michigan after the 2023 national championship season, was fired Dec. 10 and arrested hours later on charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident.
Prosecutors in Washtenaw County charged Moore with felony third-degree home invasion and two misdemeanors: stalking in a domestic relationship and breaking and entering without permission. The charges relate to an alleged years-long affair that ended in a breakup, during which Moore is accused of breaking into his ex-partner Paige Shiver’s home, making threats, and engaging in stalking behavior. Moore was arraigned Dec. 12 and released on $25,000 bond.
The tragic unraveling of former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore
Harbaugh, who coached Moore as Michigan’s offensive coordinator before promoting him, said the two have communicated via text since the arrest but declined to share details of the messages. Harbaugh did reveal the entire situation is a tragedy, that Moore needs to focus on his family and spirituality.
“I still don’t have my head wrapped around it,” Harbaugh said.
Asked if he was assisting Michigan in its coaching search to replace Moore, Harbaugh said no, citing his focus on the Chargers’ season. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel has not publicly commented on Harbaugh’s potential input, but sources indicate the university is considering candidates such as Washington’s Jedd Fisch, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham.
Harbaugh’s departure from Michigan in January 2024 has drawn comparisons to Pete Carroll’s exit from USC in 2010, with some critics suggesting both coaches left college programs ahead of looming NCAA sanctions. Carroll bolted for the Seattle Seahawks just before USC faced penalties, including a two-year postseason ban and scholarship reductions, for violations involving improper benefits to players.
In Harbaugh’s case, the NCAA issued a four-year show-cause order in August 2024 for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period, which would restrict his involvement in college coaching if he returned. That was followed in August 2025 by a more severe 10-year show-cause penalty for his role in Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, effectively banning him from college football until his mid-70s. The scandal involved former staffer Connor Stalions orchestrating an impermissible in-person scouting scheme, which the NCAA said Harbaugh failed to prevent as head coach.
The combined penalties total a 14-year show-cause order. Michigan also faced hefty fines exceeding $20 million, including $50,000 plus 10% of the football program’s budget and a share of postseason revenue. Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore received a two-year show-cause in the same ruling.
Critics, including some in college football circles, have accused Harbaugh of abandoning the program knowing investigations were intensifying, much like Carroll did at USC.
“Jim Harbaugh hates Pete Carroll, but he’s just like him. He does his dirt, and then he leaves his college football program in the dust,” one commenter posted on social media.
Harbaugh has denied such motivations, stating his move to the NFL was to pursue a Super Bowl.
Some Sherrone Moore supporters believe Harbaugh should give Moore a break, given how loyal Moore was to him during the scandal, often sticking by him even at his own expense.
Michigan’s coaching search remains ongoing, with no timeline announced for a hire. The Wolverines finished the 2025 season 9-3, missing the College Football Playoff.
Flip the pages for photo of Paige Shiver the woman who brought down Michigan and Sherrone Moore.
