The now-former head coach is giving his endorsement for one of his protégés.
The Michigan Wolverines have yet to appoint a replacement head coach despite the official news just a few days ago that Jim Harbaugh was departing to take a position as head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. Being timely about something like this is tremendously crucial in the age of the transfer site, NIL, and high school recruitment.
That isn’t to say Warde Manuel and the Athletic Department are dragging their feet — by all accounts, it sounds like they want to be quick about it — but if there was any sense of urgency, a decision would be made very soon
even if state law or university policy requires them to wait seven days before hiring the candidate.
One thing is certain, though: Harbaugh thinks Sherrone Moore, an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach who led Michigan to a 4-0 record while Harbaugh was serving two suspensions in 2023, to take over as head coach in Ann Arbor.
“I’ll always be a devoted Wolverine,” Harbaugh declared to Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News ($). But Sherrone Moore is the ideal guy to lead the team. I totally endorse him and will vote for him. It seems to be in excellent hands.
Moore, who has been with Michigan in a few roles since the 2018 season, was tasked with guiding the Wolverines to three of their most important wins of the 2023 season. After being notified less than 24 hours before the biggest game of the season up to that point at Penn State, Moore took the reigns and famously called 32 straight rushing plays in the second half to beat the No. 10 ranked Nittany Lions, 24-15.
Then, with Moore in charge, Michigan won its 1,000th game in school history a week later, defeating Maryland by a narrower margin than predicted.
Finally, Moore led the charge in The Game, defeating Ryan Day and the unbeaten Ohio State Buckeyes, 30–24, with a berth in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff at stake. It put Michigan at 12-0 and set the stage for the remaining victories that Harbaugh would experience after his last three-game ban.
It’s no surprise to see Harbaugh provide Moore his seal of approval, given how he coached without Harbaugh in
those last three regular-season games and how, through the years, they have developed a close relationship. Additionally, Blake Corum, Zak Zinter, and high school recruits that Michigan is pursuing have publicly endorsed Moore.
Moore is undoubtedly the overwhelming frontrunner to become Michigan’s next head coach. Whether it is completed in five days or five hours, it would be preferable if the relocation took place as quickly as possible. The longer the clock runs, the more like it is that Michigan will lose high school recruits to other schools and players to the transfer portal.
