Staffer felt ‘trapped’ in coercive relationship due to coach’s authority over her career
University knew about situation but failed to intervene, prioritizing football over employee welfare
Coach faced minimal consequences despite allegations of abuse and threats against staffer
If ol’ boy thought that this story was over and he wouldn’t have to hear about it anymore, he’s got another thing coming.
A former University of Michigan football staffer says she felt “trapped” in a secret relationship with then-head coach Sherrone Moore, according to ABC News. Paige Shiver, who began working with the program as an intern in 2022 and later became Moore’s executive assistant, alleges that school officials were aware of the situation but failed to intervene on her behalf.
“They knew the things that he was doing to me and no one did anything about it because they cared more about winning football games, not having another scandal, and trying to protect the head coach,” she said.
Shiver describes the relationship as imbalanced due to Moore’s authority over her career. She said she feared personal and professional consequences if she tried to end things, creating what she characterized as a coercive dynamic.
“[He] had complete control over me, over my emotions, over my career, and he knew that, and he used it against me,” she said. “Every time I tried to pull away, every time I tried to get out of even Michigan, he always had a way to pull me in and make me feel that I couldn’t leave him because he was so miserable without me.”
In 2022, Shiver became pregnant. She would ultimately decide to terminate that pregnancy after doctors warned her of serious health risks tied to a rare genetic disorder called Pompe disease. However, she openly expressed that she wanted to keep the child.
The tension between the two came to a head in December 2025, when Shiver reported the secret affair to university officials. The University of Michigan subsequently fired Moore for violating policies that prohibit relationships between supervisors and subordinates.
Shortly after his dismissal, Moore was arrested in the now-infamous incident at Shiver’s home, where he allegedly broke in and threatened self-harm. He later reached a plea agreement and was sentenced to only 18 months of probation.
“I don’t think it reflects what he did to me,” Shiver told ABC News of Moore. “He took no accountability.”
Shiver also criticized the university for prioritizing its football program over her well-being, arguing that earlier intervention could have prevented the situation from escalating. University officials have since stated they are committed to maintaining a respectful and safe workplace, though her legal team continues to raise concerns about systemic failures within the athletic department.
The lengths that athletic programs, both “amateur” and professional, will go to in order to win games is disturbing to say the least. The level of unethical, immoral, and illegal behavior that teams will accept should be embarrassing to all parties involved, but it’s not, and that’s part of the problem.
