Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi, left, talks with running backs coach Tony Alford during the Wolverines' spring game in Ann Arbor on April 19. Poggi will serve as acting head coach when Michigan plays Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. (AP file photo)

ANN ARBOR — Michigan has quite a mess on its hands.

The storied football program is yet again reeling from scandal, this time with once-promising coach Sherrone Moore at the center of it.

Moore spent Wednesday night in jail after being fired earlier in the day for what the school said was an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. His ensuing arrest was related to an assault investigation, for which Moore is scheduled to be arraigned today.

The development has left college football’s winningest school suddenly searching for a new coach — again.

“I’m so disappointed,” former Michigan defensive end Larry Stevens told The Associated Press on Thursday. “This prestigious university and everything we’ve done through the years for Michigan, you just don’t jeopardize that. I can’t wrap my head around this.”

A snapshot of recent history might show great success for the program that has bested its archrival, Ohio State, and declares itself the “The Victors,” a fitting moniker for the 2023 season’s national champions. Underneath those feats, however, there’s been multiple scandals the school will have to contend with as it courts its next coach.

“Everybody who knew has to go because how many times do we want to be on SportsCenter for scandals?” Stevens, who played for coach Lloyd Carr from 2000-03, asked in a telephone interview. “What we built, who we are, our legacy, how we’re viewed in the world, that matters to Michigan men. These activities turn us into the laughingstock of college football.”

The NCAA put Michigan’s football program on probation less than four months ago, stemming from a sign-stealing scandal, and Manuel has said penalties will cost the department more than $30 million.

Matt Weiss, who previously shared offensive coordinator duties with Moore at Michigan, was charged with hacking into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes to find intimate images. A judge entered a not-guilty plea for the former Baltimore Ravens and Michigan assistant coach earlier this year.

And now, the Wolverines are scrambling to find a new leader for their shaken football team while navigating the fallout from firing Moore.

Michigan plays No. 14 Texas on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl and will have as acting head coach assistant coach Biff Poggi, who also filled in for Moore during his previous suspension this season.

Michigan will be looking for a third coach in four years, shortly after a busy cycle that included Lane Kiffin leaving playoff-bound Mississippi for LSU.

Moore led the 18th-ranked Wolverines to a 9-3 record this year after going 8-5 in his debut season.

“I’m sad for all the families involved,” former Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said in a telephone interview.

Without a coach in place for next season, the team may lose players in the transfer portal this winter and donors who help fund revenue-sharing and NIL deals may hesitate to invest in the once-proud program.

Michigan has to pick up the pieces again and search for a coach — while the school is also looking for a new president — as it attempts to bounce back from its latest scandal.

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