Former U-M Coach Fired By Atlanta Falcons Amid Sexual Assault Claims

ATLANTA, GA — LaTroy Lewis, a former assistant defensive line coach for the University of Michigan football team, was fired by the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, just hours before he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault case.

Lewis' dismissal comes just two weeks after he was hired by the Falcons, who did not say why they fired the 32-year-old coach. However, multiple media reports say Lewis is facing sexual assault claims connected to his time at the U-M, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2022 season before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.

“The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024,” Ann Arbor Police spokesman Chris Page said. "The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis.

“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”

Lewis coached under former Michigan coaches Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh. Moore was fired in December after having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.

“As we have noted, the university launched an investigation of the circumstances and conduct leading to Sherrone Moore’s firing, as well as a broader culture review of the athletic department,” Michigan spokesman Paul Corliss said Friday. “We continue to urge anyone with relevant information to reach out to the law firm conducting the investigation.

Before he was hired by the Falcons, Lewis was a defensive line coach at Toledo during the 2025 season. CBS News reported he was also a defensive line coach at the University of Connecticut.

Karen Truszkowski, the attorney of the woman accusing Lewis of sexual assault, said her client filed an incident report with Ann Arbor police and requested a protective order against Lewis.

The woman and Lewis connected on a dating app in July 2024, and she claims his behavior became aggressive via text message and phone calls, according to Truszkowski. They met for the first time at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024, when she told police Lewis that raped her, according to Truszkowski.

The Milford (Michigan) Police Department responded the next month to a 911 call from the woman's neighbors, who heard raised voices, according to Truszkowski. The attorney said her client and Lewis told the police that their argument was not physical.

Truszkowski said her client told Milford police that Lewis was a coach at Michigan, saying she didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid to tell the police at the time that Lewis had physically abused her, according to Truszkowski.

Lewis, who is from Akron, Ohio, was a standout linebacker at Tennessee and played in two NFL games with the Houston Texans during the 2017 season.

The Falcons did not say who will replace Lewis.

The Associated Press contributed reporting and writing.