Though his name assuredly doesn't appear in the document, Sherrone Moore's recently-signed head coaching contract with Michigan has Connor Stalions' fingerprints all over it.
USA Today obtained the contract, which includes this clause:
“Notwithstanding the foregoing, a violation of the Governing Rules which occurred prior to the Effective Date, to the extent the University had actual knowledge of the facts or alleged facts that are the basis for the violation prior to the execution of this Agreement by all parties, shall not be deemed a basis for termination with cause …”
In English, this means Michigan cannot fire Moore for cause for violations involving Moore that it was aware of prior to the beginning of the contract, which was Jan. 27, 2024.
Moore was one of seven coaches on Michigan's 2023 staff caught up in the Notice of Allegations that the NCAA provided to the Wolverines last month.
He faces a show-cause penalty and possible suspension for deleting over 50 texts with Stalions last October, when the scouting scandal broke. The texts were later discovered, and Moore provided them to NCAA enforcement staff.
If found guilty, it would be a second violation for Moore. He served a 1-game suspension to open the 2023 season for violating the NCAA's recruiting rules during the pandemic dead period.
Nearly six months after agreeing to the deal, Michigan announced its 5-year, $6 million per year deal with Moore last week. The 18th-ranked Wolverines open Big Ten play with No. 11 USC at the Big House on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).