Jim Harbaugh left Michigan after three seasons of revitalizing the program, beating Ohio State three times, winning three Big Ten titles, and making three College Football Playoff appearances, culminating in the school’s first national championship this century.
As many expected, Harbaugh returned to the NFL, where he had great success before arriving in Ann Arbor, to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
Now at its peak, Michigan must choose a successor to Harbaugh to continue his success and lead the Wolverines to a historic 2024 season with an enlarged Big Ten and playoff. Who wants the job?
SHERATON MOORE
Moore offers several advantages. He’s 37 and youthful. He also coached this squad as interim amid Harbaugh’s late-season suspension.
Moore helped Michigan upset top-10 Penn State, Maryland in a trap game, and the Buckeyes at home.
Players adore him. The sign-stealing probe may lead to an NCAA sanction for the program. The NCAA may want a fresh face if Moore is implicated.
JESSE MINTER
Given Moore’s impression as interim, Michigan would undoubtedly elevate him, but Minter’s excellent management of the team during Harbaugh’s absence might cause some controversy.
However, the Wolverines defensive coordinator has worked for other schools and has NFL experience, which prospects may like. There will be concerns about the sign-stealing claims, but his rebuttal has been excellent. The unit led the country in overall production throughout its championship run.
CHRIS KLIEMAN
Klieman, 56, won 19 games at Kansas State in the previous two seasons, including a Big 12 Championship upset against TCU. Four FCS national titles were his at North Dakota State.
Klieman inked an eight-year, $5.5 million contract before last season. He would owe Kansas State $6 million if he left to coach elsewhere.
LEIPOLD
Kansas’ comeback under Leipold is famous. The Jayhawks, one of the poorest programs nationally, have improved greatly under his leadership.
KU moved from two wins to six, then nine, in three years, finished in the AP top 25, and defeated Oklahoma.
MATT CAMPBELL
Over the past eight seasons at Iowa State, the 44-year-old Ohio native has seen his star rise and sink. His finest season was 2020, when the Cyclones won 9 games and the Fiesta Bowl. Since then, Campbell is 18-20 and his teams haven’t been rated in three years. Still, he has just two losing seasons and has proved he can grow a program, so it’s intriguing to see what he can do in a more elite situation with more resources and a new start at a national title-winning institution.
