Former Michigan Football Staffer Details Relationship with Ex-Head Coach Sherrone Moore, Alleges Institutional Failures
Introduction
Paige Shiver, the former executive assistant to Sherrone Moore, has publicly described a multi-year relationship with the former University of Michigan head football coach. The disclosure, made in a televised interview, provides new details about the events that led to Moore's termination in December 2024 and the legal case that followed. Shiver also claimed that university leaders knew about the relationship and did not stop it, a statement the university has denied.
Main Body
The relationship between Shiver and Moore started in January 2022, when Shiver was an intern and Moore served as the Wolverines' offensive coordinator under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh. After Harbaugh left, Moore was promoted to head coach in early 2024, and Shiver was promoted to executive assistant. Shiver described the relationship as an "open secret" within the athletic department, claiming that senior coaching staff were aware of its existence. During the relationship, Shiver became pregnant with Moore's child. Doctors advised against continuing the pregnancy because Shiver had been diagnosed with Pompe disease, a genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness. Shiver said Moore told her she "had to do what's right for your body." She then ended the pregnancy. Furthermore, Shiver alleged that other coaching staff often told her to comfort Moore when he was upset, including during halftime of games. She said she did so because she was worried about losing her job, claiming that the department cared more about Moore's emotional state than her well-being. "No one cared about my feelings," she said. "They wanted to use me to help him so that they could get through the season." The university fired Moore on December 10, 2024, after Shiver revealed the relationship to the institution. The school found that the relationship broke Moore's contract. However, Shiver pointed out that an earlier investigation in fall 2024 did not lead to any punishment because both parties denied the relationship at that time. She said she did not trust the investigation, believing it was designed to protect Moore. The university, in a statement, said it "terminated Sherrone Moore promptly upon discovering his undisclosed workplace relationship with a direct report" and that his conduct violated university policy. Shiver's lawyer, Andrew Stroth, described the situation as a "systemic failure to comply with basic policies and procedures" that created a hostile work environment. After being fired, Moore drove to Shiver's apartment and entered without permission. Shiver said Moore blamed her for ruining his life and started grabbing butter knives, threatening to hurt himself. Police later arrested Moore in a church parking lot after his wife reported him as a danger to himself. Moore pleaded no contest to two minor criminal charges—trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device involving a domestic relationship—in return for dropping a more serious home invasion charge. He was given 18 months of probation, ordered to get mental health treatment, and not allowed to contact Shiver. Shiver said she was unhappy with the sentence, stating that Moore "should have gotten more punishment" and that he "took no accountability." Moore's lawyer, Ellen Michaels, said Moore "has closed this chapter." The university later hired former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to replace Moore.
Conclusion
The case has increased attention on the University of Michigan's athletic department culture, with Shiver's claims of institutional failure contrasting with the university's assertion that it acted quickly and correctly. Although the legal case has ended with a probation sentence, Shiver still says the consequences were not enough for the harm she experienced.