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ORLANDO, Fla. -- In his first comments since being named Michigan interim football coach, Biff Poggi said Monday his players feel betrayed and angry following the firing and arrest of former coach Sherrone Moore.
During a media availability for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Poggi was asked how both he and his team have handled the events of the last week. Moore was fired last Wednesday because of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Hours later, prosecutors said that Moore forced entry into the staff member's apartment.
He subsequently was charged with felony third-degree home invasion and two misdemeanors: stalking in a domestic relationship and breaking and entering. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel selected Poggi as interim coach in the aftermath.
Poggi said he has spent the last week speaking with and listening to players, having multiple video calls with parents and trying to treat everyone with kindness and empathy.
"It has been a tumultuous time," Poggi said. "A lot of ... first disbelief, then anger, then really, what we're in right now is the kids, quite frankly, feel very betrayed, and we're trying to work through that."
Poggi said he has tried to help players with "lots of arms around shoulders, lot of listening, lot of telling them that you love them, but showing it, because words are cheap, and that takes a lot of time. What it really takes is you being willing to listen."
Earlier this season, Poggi served as interim coach against Central Michigan and Nebraska in place of Moore, who was serving a suspension as part of self-imposed sanctions for NCAA violations related to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.
Before he returned to Michigan as associate head coach in February 2025, Poggi served as the head coach at Charlotte for two seasons.
Though he mentioned there is no playbook to follow in a situation like this one, Poggi said his mandate from Manuel has been to "love and take care of the kids."
"I don't know that you can prepare for something like this," Poggi said. "It's been complicated. I want to listen to them. I want to understand what the kids are feeling and what their parents are feeling, and so a lot of listening, and there's been a wide range of emotions, and we are going through those steps.
"They're not over yet, and I don't expect them to be over for a while. The mandate that Warde Manuel gave me as the athletic director when he asked me to be the interim coach, was to love and take care of the kids, and so that's what I'm spending all of my time doing."
Poggi added he has had conversations with players about whether they want to play or opt-out of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Texas on Dec. 31.
"What we've told them is this is a personal decision for you all, based on a very unique situation," Poggi said. "So, we're trying to be really sensitive to making sure that we're not forcing anybody into doing anything."
But he also added preparing for a football game has helped "a tremendous amount."
"Because when they're inside that rectangle for those hours that were either in meetings or practicing, it's a bit of a sanctuary," Poggi said. "And a chance to not think about what is a constant barrage of media questions and things like that."
