Towards the end of his alleged affair and his time as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football program, Sherrone Moore reportedly became increasingly “stressed out” over his situation.
In a bombshell report by the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday, insiders close to the coach and program say Moore had become paranoid that rumours of his alleged affair were spreading.
However, the married father of three’s worries appear to have been well-founded, considering one insider said you would’ve had to be “an idiot” to not know what had been going on.
“Guys over there on that side of the building (where Moore’s office was) 100% knew about it,” a former insider told the outlet. “They can deny it all they want, but there’s too many things that happened. If you didn’t know, you’re an idiot – it was too obvious.”
Moore was fired with cause by the University on Dec. 10 after it was revealed he was allegedly involved in an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member” who has since reportedly been identified as Paige Shiver.
Walked out of meeting
The Free Press reported that Shiver, who had been serving as the executive assistant to Moore, followed him out of a staff meeting after he had an argument with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
“It’s a really weird dynamic, one of those things where everyone knew but no one wanted to say it,” a former staffer told the outlet.
“She sat right in front of his office. Her desk was right in front of his office, like two feet in front of his.”
Another “long-standing university employee” said that there was “just so much tension and weird, erratic behavior and immaturity and stuff going on in Schembechler Hall (Michigan’s football facility).
“I don’t know if it was because of a guilty conscience … but clearly there was something going on.”
CBS previously reported that the affair was the “worst-kept secret” at the facility.
Moore’s firing and arrest
Moore allegedly told his mistress he was going to make her watch him kill himself and that “my blood is on your hands,” prosecutors said during a court appearance after he was officially charged with felony home invasion and a pair of misdemeanours – stalking and breaking and entering – according to officials.
The charges stem from Moore allegedly breaking into the home of Shiver then grabbing butter knives and kitchen scissors before threatening self-harm. Shiver, 32, reportedly ended the relationship with Moore earlier in the week.
Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski told the court that Moore allegedly continued to call and text Shiver even as she attempted to ignore him.
On Dec. 10, she reported the affair to the school’s athletic department, leading to his termination and the alleged incident at her home.
What Moore allegedly said
According to Rezmierski, the couple had been involved in an “intimate relationship” for several years.
While describing the alleged events of Dec. 10, the prosecutor told the courts Moore said he was going to kill himself and “make you watch” and that “my blood is on your hands.
“You ruined my life,” he also allegedly told her.
Moore could face five years in prison if convicted of the top charge of home invasion, according to court documents.