Editor’s note: Todd Unzicker is executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
As a former sports reporter, I cannot help but still keep a watchful eye on the sport I enjoy so much. Every now and then, the chaos that is college football crosses from the football crazies like me to the talk of the nation.
This was the case again this week when the University of Michigan shockingly announced the firing of its head football coach, Sherrone Moore. Moore was elevated to head coach when Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL after leading Michigan to a national title in 2023. As head coach, Moore led the Wolverines to an 18-8 record over two seasons that were also marked by being suspended for multiple games related to a sign-stealing scandal and recruiting violations.
His brief career was also clouded in controversy but nothing compared what unfolded yesterday (Dec. 10). The world learned that Moore had been fired by university officials “for cause” due to an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” After his dismissal, Moore was later arrested and detained by police for “investigation into potential charges” related to an alleged assault. His day began as a celebrated coach of one of the blue blood programs of the college football world and ended in a detention center.
Here are six things that the Sherrone Moore situation should cause us to consider.
1. The devil is real.
The Bible tells us that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour Jesus’ followers. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, the devil put seeds of doubt into the hearts of Adam and Eve leading to their sin. While I do not know Sherrone Moore, he did profess to be a Christ follower, and the devil has proved time and again that he wants nothing more than to devour Jesus’ people. Too often, we all go through the day not acknowledging the spiritual aspect of this world and the fact that there is a real enemy.
2. Prayer is our primary weapon.
For many of Jesus followers, prayer is often our last resort rather than our primary strategy. Yes, we should come to a God who loves us with all of our cares and concerns, but this latest fall of a well-known public figure should drive us to our knees asking God for His protection. How often am I praying for my own testimony, my own marriage, my children and that our God would protect us from the temptations of the devil, our flesh and the world?
3. Marriage is sacred.
It is interesting to notice that in a world that seeks to redefine marriage or devalue the importance of the family, it still recognizes the evils of “inappropriate relationships.” This is because every human being is made in the image of God, and He is the one who designed marriage as a reflection of Jesus’ love for His people. Even a secular university understands how this behavior is not in the practices of its institution. How much more for followers of Jesus that it not only is bad, but it is an affront to a Holy God. Holding on to, protecting and preserving our marriages can be one of our greatest testimonies of being a Christ follower.
4. Left unchecked, sin always grows.
It has often been said that “sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” What Moore thought was something simple turned far greater. The writer of Hebrews encourages believers to throw aside any sin that so easily entangles us. Repentance, a turning from our sin, must be done often and quickly.
5. Sin always affects more than simply ourselves.
One of the least talked about aspects of this tragedy is the fact that Sherrone Moore has a wife and three small children. The heartbreaking betrayal, weeks before Christmas, that this sin caused will wreak havoc and destruction for decades to come. This family will never be the same again. The players, who undoubtedly looked up to their coach, and the staff in the building will never know their time at Michigan the same again. What we think we do in secret will always be exposed in the light and will devastate those around us.
6. There is hope when we fail.
Although few details of Moore’s situation have been made public and the investigation is ongoing, we are reminded that we have hope, even in our lowest moments. As followers of Jesus, when we sin, we turn away from our sin and toward the One who came to rescue us. When we see our sin, our first response must be to turn from it and turn toward the one who lived the life we couldn’t live and died the death we deserved. While consequences will remain, we can have hope because of Jesus who conquered sin and death.
This article originally appeared in the Biblical Recorder.
