After Jim Harbaugh decided to leave the Wolverines after nine seasons in order to take a position with the Los Angeles Chargers, Michigan is looking for a new football coach. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reports that Sherrone Moore, the offensive coordinator at Michigan who guided the Wolverines to victory over Ohio State in Harbaugh’s absence the previous season, is one of the front-runners on the program’s list of possibilities.
Dodd revealed on Wednesday that the Wolverines, who were successful in winning a national championship as well as many Big Ten titles under Harbaugh, plan to “cast a wide net” in order to fill his position.
According to Chris Hummer of 247Sports, employing Moore would definitely reduce the amount of transfer portal departures that are certain to occur after Harbaugh’s departure. Players from Michigan, including those in the 2024 signing class, have 30 days to leave after the head coaching change. It is unclear how many decide to take this action.
Moore is going to be a college football head coach very soon. “The Michigan way” must be upheld above all else, according to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider, who spoke with 247Sports on Sunday. If necessary, there is a simple decision to be made.
“The next best option (if Harbaugh signs an NFL contract) for preserving the culture is hiring Harbaugh’s no. 1 assistant, and that’s Sherrone Moore,” Webb stated. Sherman has spent six years at Michigan, rising through the ranks from offensive line coach to coordinator to tight ends coach. Two consecutive years, his team won the Joe Moore trophy under his coaching. Not merely as a stand-in, he was the one under fire at the end of the season.
“When his offense was unable to stop the Nittany Lions’ pass rush, he had to make split second decisions on the road against Penn State, and he successfully altered the game plan.” Then, against Ohio State, he made bold, game-winning choices two weeks later.”
At Michigan, Moore filled a variety of positions and was excellent in each, which eventually led to his exceptional performance this season as Harbaugh’s temporary head coach. In addition to helping Michigan defeat Penn State without Harbaugh, Moore led the way as the Wolverines defeated Ohio State to secure a berth in the Big Ten title game and prevented an upset against Maryland while playing on the road.
“I believe the administration of Michigan saw enough to conclude that, although they will conduct a search and speak with national figures, Sherrone is the clear favorite to succeed Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s next coach if Harbaugh leaves the team. They also believe that Sherrone can continue Jim Harbaugh’s legacy.”
Although Brian Kelly has been mentioned for a while as a coach who might seize the chance to take over at Michigan, he has already had two successful seasons at LSU and recently reorganized his defense staff in an effort to try and win his first College Football Playoff berth since his time as a Notre Dame coach in 2024. Dodd stated that Kelly would be drawn to Michigan’s unprecedented offer of an extension for Harbaugh, which would have made him the highest-paid coach in the country; yet, LSU is also a wealthy school.
