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Sherrone Moore’s former executive assistant at Michigan has broken her silence. Days after the ex-Wolverines coach accepted a plea deal on two misdemeanor charges following his December firing, Paige Shiver issued her first public statement to the Detroit Free Press on Monday.
Working through the Chicago-based Action Injury Law Group, the 32-year-old described what she calls “years of manipulation, harassment, and exploitation” from Moore. She’s also pointing fingers at Michigan’s administration for failing to step in.
The statement paints a picture of a power imbalance that Shiver says left her trapped. As a subordinate employee reporting to a head coach at one of college football’s most prominent programs, she “felt pressured, intimidated and unable to escape conduct that should never occur in any workplace, let alone at a public university.”
Her attorneys didn’t mince words about institutional responsibility either.
Institutions entrusted with the education and safety of students and employees have a fundamental duty to ensure that power is never used to exploit or silence others. A thorough and transparent investigation into this conduct — and any related institutional failures — must occur. Our client came forward at tremendous personal cost because she believes that silence allows abuse of power to continue.
Moore took the plea deal last week, accepting responsibility for malicious use of a telecommunications device in a domestic relationship and trespassing. Those misdemeanor charges helped him avoid more serious counts of home invasion, breaking and entering, and stalking.
Andrew M. Stroth, Shiver’s attorney, told the Free Press that Moore “took advantage of a younger, female employee.” The statement references comments athletic director Warde Manuel made back in December when Moore was fired. Manuel called the relationship between Moore and Shiver a violation of university policy; he also suggested Shiver might not be the only employee who dealt with what he termed “inappropriate” behavior from the head coach.
Shiver’s contract with Michigan expired this spring, and she’s no longer working in the athletic department as an executive assistant. TMZ Sports reported last week that she made $58,025 during the 2024 season before getting bumped to $90,000 in 2025. That raise came before news of her alleged relationship with Moore went public.
The statement doesn’t provide specific details about what happened between Shiver and Moore. But it’s clear her legal team believes this goes beyond one incident.
“The University of Michigan is one of the prominent institutions in the world, but there’s a culture in the athletic department that has hurt Ms. Shiver and others,” Stroth said. “Leadership knew and failed to act to protect her. This isn’t something that happened overnight — it happened over a long period of time.”
Moore’s arrest on Dec. 10, 2025, came just hours after Michigan fired him. Prosecutors say he entered Shiver’s residence that day and threatened her with kitchen utensils. He later allegedly threatened to harm himself while speaking to Shiver.
“I’m going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You ruined my life,” Moore allegedly told her.
Moore took over as Michigan’s head coach in 2024 after Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers. He went 16-8 across two seasons before everything fell apart in December.
The fallout from Moore’s firing has pushed Michigan to take a harder look at how its athletic department operates. Interim president Domenico Grasso brought in Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to conduct an independent investigation into the department’s culture, conduct and procedures.
It’s the kind of institutional review that typically happens when leadership realizes problems run deeper than one person’s actions.
