University of Michigan alum Dave Portnoy is sounding off on the shocking firing — and subsequent arrest — of the school’s former head football coach Sherrone Moore following allegations that he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer.
During an appearance on Wake Up Barstool on Thursday, December 11, Portnoy, 48, theorized that Sherrone’s wife, Kelli, may not have had an issue with his alleged involvement with a University of Michigan staff member.
“There is no way for us to know what that was. … Again, I think if he was cheating, with or without a staffer, the result would be the same,” he declared.
Portnoy went on to say that there may be unknown complexities because people can have all kinds of “freaks” and “quirks.”
Pressed on the power dynamics at play, Portnoy countered, “I think if this was just a random college girl, the results would be the same.”
Sherrone and Kelli tied the knot in July 2015 and they share three daughters: Shiloh, Solei and Sadie.
The always-outspoken Barstool Sports founder later shared a clip of his appearance on Wake Up Barstool to boast about tackling the scandal head-on.
“People can say whatever they want about what it means to be a Michigan Man. For me it means when controversy strikes you don’t run and hide from it. You run towards it. You face it head on,” Portnoy wrote via Instagram on Thursday, December 11. “That’s what I did today. At Michigan we lead from the front!”
During his interview on Thursday, Portnoy — who was decked out in a Michigan cap and T-shirt — insisted that he’d asked to appear on Wake Up Barstool in order to address controversy at his alma mater.
“I want to make it very clear, I requested to be on this show. I was not asked [to be a guest]. When I saw what hit the news wire, I called and said, ‘I gotta be there,’” he said. “I put on my Michigan hat. I put on my Michigan shirt. I said. ‘We’re gonna talk about this and face the music.’ I don’t know how many other leaders from schools would do that. … Let’s take it on the chin and deal with it. That’s a credit to the institution, the school and me.”
Portnoy said that, even though “there have been rumors” about Moore’s conduct, the coach’s alleged behaviour should not reflect on the university.
“We had to investigate and the second we found out there was wrongdoing with this staffer — which the school has reported — we cut ties with him. It was the moral thing, it was the right thing to do,” Portnoy insisted.
Portnoy claimed the Moore scandal is no bigger than others faced by rival universities in recent years — including the Penn State sex scandal and “institutional chaos” at Ohio State.
“This is a crime in the college football world, but not really in the real world,” he claimed.
When Wake Up Barstool panelist Brandon Walker pointed out that Moore, 39, was “in jail,” Portnoy shot back: “[Moore] was already dismissed as head coach when all the stuff that apparently happened after [went down]. So, we, as a school, cannot be held responsible when an ex-employee seemingly goes off the rails!”
He continued: “I tweeted out, ‘Jeffrey Dahmer went to Ohio State.’ That’s just a fact. I don’t equate that to the [Ohio State] football program. We got rid of the guy [Moore]. What happened after, happened after!”
Portnoy noted that Moore may have kept his job despite his arrest if Michigan had beat Ohio State on November 29. The Buckeyes ended the Wolverines’ playoff hopes with a 27-9 victory.
“Now, we should be looking forward,” Portnoy demanded. “There should be no talk on the national stage about the past. We are looking forward.”
Moore was fired by Michigan after two seasons as its head coach on Wednesday when a university investigation found “credible evidence” that he’d engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer. The identity of the staffer has not been disclosed, as of publication.
“This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement.
That same evening, the Pittsfield Police Department confirmed in a press release that its officers responded to an address on the 3000 block of Ann Arbor-Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault.”
The Detroit News reported that Moore was taken into custody and online court records showed that he was booked at the Washtenaw County Jail at 8:30 p.m. As of publication, the specific charges against the coach are not yet known.
“The incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community,” the Pittsfield Police Department said in a statement.
Confirming that an investigation is “ongoing,” the police department stated: “Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details. Further details regarding the incident will be released as soon as possible.”
In the wake of Moore’s firing, Biff Poggi has taken over as the University of Michigan’s interim head football coach while the search for a replacement begins. Poggi, 66, previously filled in as head coach for two games earlier in the season when Moore was suspended for his part in a sign stealing investigation.
