Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, center, appears in the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A judge on Tuesday granted a request for a hearing to learn more about an investigation that led to charges against former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, who was arrested soon after he was fired for a relationship with his executive assistant.

It’s a victory for Moore and lawyer Ellen Michaels who is defending him against charges of felony home invasion, stalking and illegal entry. They ultimately want the case dismissed.

Moore, 40, is accused of entering the woman’s apartment without permission and threatening to kill himself in front of her on Dec. 10. Authorities quoted him as saying she was to blame for him losing one of the top college football jobs in the country. She had spoken to university officials.

Judge J. Cedric Simpson expressed concern that a police detective didn’t disclose Moore’s employer-employee relationship with the woman — a “glaring omission” — when a magistrate authorized a warrant for his arrest.

“Defendant’s due process may have been violated,” Simpson said.

“This was not solely this personal relationship. The magistrate should have been able to look at that,” said the judge, who set a March 2 hearing to hear from police and other witnesses.

The woman ended the personal relationship a few days before Moore’s firing and did not answer a dozen calls or respond to some text messages from him before his dismissal, police said.

Michaels said a coach calling and texting an executive assistant that many times was reasonable while Moore was preparing his team for a bowl game.

“It’s not stalking if the communication has a legitimate purpose,” Michaels said.

Before Simpson set the hearing, Washtenaw County assistant prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said it wasn’t necessary and would be outside the judge’s discretion.

Moore coached the Wolverines for two seasons as the successor to Jim Harbaugh, who won a national championship before quitting to become coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. Kyle Whittingham, who coached Utah for two decades, is Michigan’s new coach.

Michaels accused the woman’s personal lawyer of giving information to police to “villainize Mr. Moore and maximize the chances of obtaining a large settlement from the deep pockets of the University of Michigan.”

Northern Iowa player dies

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa. — Northern Iowa football player Parker Sutherland died two days after collapsing during an offseason workout.

School officials announced Saturday that the 18-year-old tight end from Iowa City, Iowa, had died that morning. Northern Iowa coach Todd Stepsis said Monday that 6-foot-6 Sutherland had collapsed on Thursday.

Sutherland appeared in four games as a freshman last fall. He had earned second-team all-state honors his senior year at Iowa City High School, where he also played basketball.

He is survived by his parents, Adam and Jill Sutherland, as well as a sister, Georgia.

Yale coach resigns

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Tony Reno, who led Yale to five Ivy League championships over 14 seasons, resigned Tuesday because of health reasons.

Reno had been on medical leave since the end of last season. His resignation takes effect immediately.

“When I arrived at Yale 14 years ago, I could never have imagined what this journey would become,” Reno said in a statement. “The relationships formed, the moments shared, and the people I have been privileged to be surrounded by have changed my life and my family’s lives forever. I am deeply grateful to the players, the coaches, and the staff who gave everything they had to Yale Football.

“From the very beginning, I spoke about honoring the proud tradition of Yale Football and fully embracing the responsibility that comes with leading this program. Together, we pursued excellence and built something truly meaningful. I am incredibly proud of the foundation we laid and confident in the future of Yale Football. Serving as the head coach of this program has been the greatest honor of my life.”

Reno, 52, went 83-49, second in the program in career victories to Carm Cozza, who was 179-119-5.