He wasn't the "safe" pick. Well, actually, maybe he was. When Jim Harbaugh finally packed his bags for the Los Angeles Chargers after winning the National Championship, the University of Michigan football coach search didn't even really happen. It was a coronation. Sherrone Moore, the guy who cried on national television after beating Penn State, was the only choice. But honestly? Being the guy who follows "The Guy" is usually a nightmare.
Success is a double-edged sword in Ann Arbor. You win a natty, and suddenly, 10 wins feels like a failure. That's the reality Moore walked into. It’s gritty. It’s loud. And it’s incredibly high-stakes.
The Impossible Act of Following Jim Harbaugh
Most people don't realize how much of a cult of personality Michigan was under Harbaugh. He was the quirky, khaki-wearing, milk-drinking savior who took a decade to finally climb the mountain. When Moore took over, he didn't just inherit a roster; he inherited a philosophy.
But the roster he inherited was gutted.
Think about it. Thirteen players drafted. J.J. McCarthy, the heartbeat of the offense, gone to the Vikings. Blake Corum, the guy who literally carried the ball into the end zone for the title, gone to the Rams. Most of the offensive line? Gone. You’re essentially rebuilding a Ferrari while driving it 100 miles per hour on I-94.
Moore’s biggest challenge isn't just X’s and O’s. It’s the vibe. Harbaugh had this "Michigan vs. Everybody" mentality that fueled the 2023 run. Maintaining that same chip on the shoulder when you're the defending champs is hard. Like, really hard. Players get comfortable. Coaches get poached. (Looking at you, Jesse Minter and Mike Elston).
What the University of Michigan Football Coach Gets Right (and Wrong) About the Offense
Moore is an offensive line guy at heart. He loves the "smash" in Smashmouth. Under his tenure as OC, Michigan won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards. That’s not a coincidence. He understands leverage better than almost anyone in the Big Ten.
However, the 2024 season showed the cracks in the foundation. Without a high-level quarterback like McCarthy to keep defenses honest, teams just stacked the box. We saw it against Texas. We saw it against Illinois. You can’t just run "Duo" forty times a game and expect to beat top-10 teams anymore.
The transition from being the "acting" University of Michigan football coach—like he was during Harbaugh’s suspensions—to being the permanent boss is a massive shift in perspective. When you're the interim, you're playing with house money. You make a gutsy call, and if it fails, hey, you're just filling in. Now? Every failed fourth-down conversion is a referendum on his career.
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The Quarterback Conundrum
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the portal.
Michigan’s biggest mistake post-Harbaugh might have been their conservative approach to the transfer portal for a starting QB. While Oregon was out grabbing Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State landed Will Howard, Michigan stayed internal with Alex Orji and Davis Warren.
- Alex Orji: Incredible athlete, but the passing consistency just wasn't there early on.
- Davis Warren: Great story, former walk-on, but lacked the "it" factor needed for elite Big Ten play.
- Jack Tuttle: The veteran who couldn't stay healthy.
It felt like Moore was trying to honor the "Michigan Man" culture by promoting from within, but in the modern NIL era, that can be a death sentence. You have to adapt. You have to spend. You have to recruit the portal as hard as high schools.
Recruiting in the Shadow of the NCAA
You can't talk about the University of Michigan football coach without mentioning the NCAA investigations. The Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga and the recruiting violations from the COVID era didn't just vanish when Harbaugh left. Moore has had to navigate the "Notice of Allegations" while trying to convince five-star recruits that the program isn't about to hit a brick wall of sanctions.
It's a tough sell.
Imagine sitting in a living room in Belleville, trying to convince Bryce Underwood—the top QB in the country—to stay home when rival coaches are whispering in his ear about post-season bans. It’s a miracle Moore has kept the 2025 class as stable as he has.
The "Smash" Identity vs. The Modern Game
There is a segment of the Michigan fanbase that wants to see the "Air Raid." They see what Ryan Day is doing in Columbus or what Kalen DeBoer brought to Alabama and they want that flash.
Moore isn't that guy.
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He believes in "The Team, The Team, The Team," which translates to: run the ball, control the clock, and let the defense (led by guys like Mason Graham and Will Johnson) win the game. It’s old school. It’s rugged. It’s very Michigan.
But is it sustainable?
In 2023, it worked because the offensive line was legendary. In 2024 and beyond, Moore has to prove he can evolve. He brought in Kirk Campbell as OC, but the fingerprints on the playbook are still Sherrone’s. To stay at the top, the University of Michigan football coach has to find a way to incorporate more explosive playmaking without losing that physical identity.
Real Talk: The Pressure of the Ohio State Game
In Ann Arbor, you can lose every game on the schedule, but if you beat Ohio State, you’re a hero. Harbaugh flipped the script on that rivalry, winning three straight. Moore was actually the coach of record for the 2023 win over the Buckeyes.
That gave him a massive amount of "goodwill credit" in the bank.
But that credit runs out fast. If Ryan Day starts a new streak, the "Moore isn't Harbaugh" narrative will become a deafening roar. The fans expect dominance now. They don't remember the Rich Rodriguez or Brady Hoke eras—or rather, they've blocked them out like a bad dream. They expect 11 wins. They expect a Big Ten title.
Navigating the NIL Landscape
Michigan’s approach to NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has been... let's say "deliberate."
For a long time, the university took a "scholarship first" stance. They didn't want to engage in bidding wars for recruits. That changed recently with the "One More Year" fund and more aggressive donor engagement. Moore has been a huge part of this shift. He’s more of a "player's coach" than Harbaugh was in some ways. He’s younger. He relates better. He’s on social media.
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He knows that to keep the University of Michigan football coach seat warm, he needs to ensure his players are getting paid what they're worth. If he doesn't, the SEC will just come in and pluck the best talent out of the Great Lakes region.
The Verdict on Sherrone Moore
Is he the right guy?
The 2024 season was always going to be a "bridge" year, even if nobody wanted to admit it. You don't lose that much NFL talent and just keep rolling without a hiccup. Moore has shown he can lead. He has the respect of the locker room. He doesn't panic when things get messy.
But the leash is short.
The Big Ten is bigger now. USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington are in the mix. There are no "off" weeks. To succeed, Moore has to be more than just a great line coach. He has to be a CEO. He has to manage the portal, the NIL, the boosters, and the NCAA all at once.
Actionable Steps for Michigan Fans and Observers
If you’re following the trajectory of the University of Michigan football coach, keep your eyes on these specific markers over the next 12 months:
- The 2025 QB Strategy: Watch the portal. If Moore doesn't land a high-ceiling, veteran starter or a massive five-star freshman, the offensive ceiling remains capped.
- Staff Continuity: Moore needs to keep his defensive staff together. Keeping Wink Martindale or finding a long-term successor who runs that Ravens-style system is vital.
- In-State Recruiting: If Michigan starts losing the top five players in the state of Michigan to MSU, OSU, or LSU, that’s a red flag. Moore’s strength has always been his personal connection to recruits.
- Adaptation of the Scheme: Look for more pre-snap motion and RPOs. The "Smash" concept needs a modern facelift to compete with the high-flying offenses in the new-look Big Ten.
Sherrone Moore isn't just coaching a team; he's defending a legacy. It's a heavy crown, and the next two seasons will determine if he's a long-term fixture in Ann Arbor or a transitional figure who helped bridge the gap between legends.