Moore would be next, everyone knew.
Daniel Plocher Dan Plocher does podcasts, game previews/recaps, and YouTube videos for Maize n’ Brew.
After Jim Harbaugh left Ann Arbor for sunny Southern California, everyone pointed to Sherrone Moore as the next Michigan Wolverines head coach. He announced the decision within 48 hours, and most admirers agreed that he’s ready to move on.
In the 2023 championship season, he went 4-0 as interim Michigan head coach. Two wins were over Penn State and Ohio State, the most crucial regular-season contests.
Moore being head coach is great, but we need to know what’s next for Michigan. Here are five questions regarding Moore replacing Harbaugh.
1) How much personnel will be retained and promoted?
The question everyone wants answered. Most staff members expressed their excitement on social media when Moore was named head coach on Friday. That bodes well for the future.
Moore believes keeping as much of the present staff as feasible is wise considering the national title they delivered to Ann Arbor. That will also help keep this roster together as newcomers won’t affect the leaders.
Moore also expressed his desire to retain strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert at his initial news conference. Moore may prioritize keeping Herbert since Harbaugh lauded him and what he accomplished with the players year-round.
Moore must employ a linebackers coach and potentially a defensive coordinator. Jesse Minter is rumored to join the Chargers as Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator. Moore will be busy as a head coach for a while.
2) Was 2023 success due to Moore or the team?
My first inquiry when Moore’s employment was revealed was this. Moore will be the first head coach of the reigning national champions in 2024, a squad that will be very different from the one that won it all.
Moore deserves credit for directing the squad to victory against Penn State and Ohio State, but that team believed it would win the national championship. This was the sole reason some players returned.
How will this team handle adversity without most of those leaders and the vast talent leaving? It will be intriguing whether Moore can maintain the 2023 team’s philosophy and ethos into next season and beyond.
3) Will this affect recruiting?
This is a recruiting double-edged sword. Start with the positives: Moore is one of the top college football recruiters and has been the key recruiter for many of the Wolverines’ current and previous stars. The NFL may not notice him every season. Ann Arbor may attract more elite talent.
No, Moore is not Harbaugh. Playing under a head coach who has only produced NFL players and coached in a Super Bowl makes Michigan appealing. Harbaugh also held firm on compensating players and making college football more equal. He was a proven talent, and if this club fails with its incredibly challenging schedule in 2024, would players go away from a first-year head coach?
Some Michigan recruits expected Harbaugh to be their coach. Some have reiterated their promise, while many have not. Whether freshman attrition occurs is unknown.
4) Can the club find and nurture a quarterback without Harbaugh?
This leads to my second point, recruiting and developing the proper quarterback. Harbaugh hit two (or three) of them in his career. Some say Shea Patterson, Cade McNamara, and J.J. McCarthy were stars.
Without McNamara, I don’t see Michigan making the playoffs in 2021. They don’t win a national title without McCarthy. Harbaugh helped these two become champions and leaders.
Moore wants to play smash-mouth football, and although he has been great at creating elite offensive lines and running backs, can he do it at quarterback?
Harbaugh helped choose true freshman Jadyn Davis and 2025 four-star quarterback Carter Smith. If they stay committed, what happens? Michigan must keep winning in the most crucial position on the field to extend their run.
5) Will the programme embrace NIL as Moore wants?
Harbaugh believed players should be paid directly instead of through NIL. The university and athletic department constantly seemed behind.
They wanted to guarantee things were done correctly since there was never (and still is) a clear legal guidance in these processes. The growth of NIL collectives that have helped athletes for years has brought some clarity.
These collectives need greater academic support, and Moore seems to be pressing for it.
“(NIL has) just become a big thing of college football,” Moore stated in his press conference. It’s part of our work and operations. We must grow with the times, and we will. I believe we will assault. We’ve begun doing that, so we’ll discuss how to proceed.”
Michigan has slipped behind as college football programs continue to make secret payments to top players. Many anticipate this squad to be excellent without Harbaugh, but Moore will keep expectations high. Nailing NIL might help the program prolong its outstanding run by filling Harbaugh’s recruitment deficit.
