fired Michigan – A former Michigan football executive assistant says a relationship with fired coach Sherrone Moore grew into one where she felt trapped by threats and control.
A former University of Michigan football executive assistant says what began as a consensual relationship with fired head coach Sherrone Moore later became something she felt unable to escape—an account that adds a more personal layer to a criminal case now tied to workplace conduct.
Paige Shiver, 32, spoke publicly for the first time since Moore was arrested last December for trespassing.. She said their nearly four-year relationship. which she described as an “open secret” inside the athletics department. shifted over time into one where she feared retaliation and felt manipulated.. Shiver told Misryoum that Moore used emotional pressure. including threats of suicide and pleas to stay. whenever she tried to end things or move away.
Her account portrays the relationship not only as romantic, but as power dynamics playing out across employment.. Shiver said Moore had control over her emotions and her career—and that he understood her dependency in ways that made leaving feel impossible.. She said that when she attempted to pull away. she would be drawn back. surrounded by a sense that he was too miserable without her and that she would be to blame.
The allegations connect to an incident described by police after Moore was fired.. Authorities said Moore entered Shiver’s apartment on the same day he was let go. and that he blamed Shiver for his termination while threatening to kill himself using butter knives.. Shiver said she feared for her life and repeatedly asked him to leave.. She also described a moment she experienced as threatening and disorienting—Moore. she said. arrived with his hood up. looking down at her while crying and asserting that she ruined his life.
In the criminal case, Moore received 18 months of probation after being fired.. He previously faced potential jail time and entered a no contest plea to trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device; a felony home invasion charge was dropped as part of a plea arrangement.. When Misryoum asked for a response to Shiver’s allegations. Moore’s attorney said the coach had “closed this chapter. ” while the University of Michigan stated that it terminated Moore promptly after discovering an undisclosed workplace relationship with a direct report.
But the public fallout is broader than one prosecution.. Shiver’s narrative raises questions about how power is exercised in high-stakes athletic programs. where win-loss pressure can tighten decision-making and discourage employees from speaking up.. When a workplace relationship runs through the chain of command—especially where one person can influence another’s professional standing—it can transform private boundaries into leverage.
Misryoum also notes that Shiver said senior coaches told her to help “calm” Moore when he was upset. sometimes during high-pressure moments like halftime.. She said she went along because she feared for her job security and believed others wanted her to help the team get through the season. not to protect her personal wellbeing.. In her view. she faced a double bind: she could not easily step back emotionally. and she believed the organizational response to misconduct would be shaped more by protecting football operations than by addressing harm.
There are also claims that the relationship affected major life decisions.. Shiver said she discovered she was pregnant in May 2022 and that doctors advised an abortion due to complications linked to Pompe disease. a rare and progressive condition she has been diagnosed with.. She said Moore told her she “had to do what’s right” for her body and that she had an abortion in July.. Whatever the legal outcome in Moore’s case. these allegations underscore how deeply personal choices can become entangled when one partner has perceived influence over employment and stability.
Shiver further said she did not disclose the relationship when she was interviewed by university human resources in October 2022. claiming she didn’t trust a process that she believed had protected Moore for years.. She said she denied the relationship because she felt there was a pattern of inaction despite what others may have known.. She told Misryoum that she waited until December to share her account with attorneys hired by the university. and that she believes the department’s priorities—avoiding another scandal and protecting the head coach—took precedence.
The university’s position is that it expects more from leaders and that Moore’s conduct violated policy.. The statement emphasized professional standards and the prompt termination of Moore upon discovery.. Yet Shiver’s account—especially her descriptions of feeling trapped. fearing for her safety. and perceiving career control—lands in a familiar national debate about how institutions handle workplace relationships when one party can shape the other’s livelihood.
Beyond the criminal case. this story may prompt renewed scrutiny of university athletics compliance systems. training for employees who report concerns. and the design of reporting channels that do not depend on trust in leadership.. Shiver said she is no longer employed by the university and expressed disappointment that Moore received probation. adding that she believes he took “no accountability.”
Misryoum will continue following developments as the public reckoning plays out between allegations, institutional review, and the broader question of what safety and responsibility look like when power is concentrated in elite sports programs.