Michigan football officially hires new head coach

It’s official! #GoBlue

Jim Harbaugh departed the Michigan football program on a high note after winning the national championship. And the search for a new head coach didn’t take very long.

Despite national pundits assuming there would be some outside search, the Wolverines looked inside the program. After going 4-0 as an interim head coach while Harbaugh was suspended due to two separate NCAA investigations, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was the obvious choice to lead the program. Groomed by Harbaugh to take over, Moore maintains stability within the program and continues the trajectory of the maize and blue with Harbaugh gone to the NFL.

Michigan football announced the hire of Moore to be the team’s 21st head coach on Friday evening.

Moore’s hire took a few days as Michigan needed to get a waiver from the state law for a public position that required it to post the job publicly for seven-to-10 days.

Here is the university’s press release:

University of Michigan Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Friday (Jan. 26) the hiring of Sherrone Moore as the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach after six years as an offensive staff member for the Wolverines. Moore becomes the 21st head football coach in school history and is the first African American to lead the nation’s winningest program in college football history.

“I want to thank Coach Harbaugh for the faith that he has displayed in me over the past six years and for supporting my growth as a football coach during that time,” said Moore. “Thanks to Athletic Director Warde Manuel for putting his faith and trust in me to be the next leader of this football program. I also want to thank President Santa Ono and members of the Board of Regents for believing in me as well. I am excited to reward that belief and trust as the program’s next leader.

“I have been preparing my entire coaching career for this opportunity and I can’t think of a better place to be head coach than at the University of Michigan,” added Moore. “We will do everything each day as a TEAM to continue the legacy of championship football that has been played at Michigan for the past 144 years. Our standards will not change. We will be a smart, tough, dependable, relentless, and enthusiastic championship-level team that loves football and plays with passion for the game, the winged helmet and each other. We will also continue to achieve excellence off the field, in the classroom and in our communities. I am excited to start working in this new role with our players, coaches and staff.”

“Sherrone has proven to be a great leader for our football program, especially the offensive line and players on the offensive side of the football,” said Manuel. “He is a dynamic, fierce and competitive individual who gets the best out of the players he mentors. The players love playing for him and being with him in the building every day.

“Sherrone stepped up this fall and served as the interim head coach when the program and especially the team needed him,” added Manuel. “Sherrone handled that situation in a way that sealed my already-growing confidence in him. He didn’t make it about him, it was always about the team! We are thrilled to have Sherrone and his wife, Kelli, and the entire Moore family step into this new role for our football program and university community.”

Moore was the Wolverines’ tight ends coach during his first three seasons (2018-20) and moved over to coach the offensive line the past three seasons (2021-23). He shared the co-offensive coordinator duties during the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten Championship seasons before taking over the sole responsibilities in 2023. He was the only Power Five offensive coordinator to also mentor the offensive line this past year.

Moore served as the team’s interim head coach for four games during the 2023 national championship season. He led the team to a 31-6 victory over Bowling Green (Sept. 16) in his first action as a head coach. Later in the season, Moore served as the Wolverines’ interim head coach again, winning two road games at Penn State and Maryland and the season finale against Ohio State to claim the Big Ten East Division Championship. Two of those late-season victories came against top 10 teams, defeating the ninth-ranked Nittany Lions (24-15) and second-ranked Buckeyes (30-24).

Moore was a finalist for the 2023 Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s outstanding assistant coach. As Michigan’s offensive coordinator in 2023, Moore directed a unit that ranked top 10 in seven offensive categories and was top 30 in 10 overall metrics. The Wolverines were 14th nationally in scoring offense (35.9 avg.), eighth in pass efficiency (165.77 rating), fourth in fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.2 avg.), third in completion percentage (72.0%) and tied for the NCAA lead with 40 rushing touchdowns. U-M prioritized ball security and delivered with the third fewest turnovers in college football (8), including the fifth fewest interceptions (5) and 10th fewest fumbles (3).

Moore transitioned to coaching the offensive line in 2021 and Michigan’s unit immediately flourished under this leadership. The Wolverines won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line unit in 2021 and became the first group to repeat as the award winner in 2022. The men in the trenches were semifinalists for the 2023 award.

All five offensive line starters earned All-Big Ten recognition each of Moore’s three seasons (2021-23) with six players earning first-team recognition. Center Olusegun Oluwatimi became Michigan’s first Outland Trophy winner and also received the Rimington Award as the nation’s best center.

Moore has coached three Wolverines to All-America status: Oluwatimi (consensus, 2022), Zak Zinter (unanimous, 2023) and Andrew Stueber (second team, 2021). Under his guidance, four Wolverines have become NFL draft picks: offensive linemen Oluwatimi (fifth), Stueber (seventh), Ryan Hayes (seventh) and tight end Zach Gentry (fifth).

The line has blocked for three consecutive 1,000-yard rushers with Hassan Haskins (1,327 yards) and Blake Corum achieving the milestone back-to-back in 2022 (1,463 yards) and 2023 (1,245). Corum nearly had another 1,000-yard rushing season in 2021 (952) and Donovan Edwards (991) came close to the century mark in 2022. Michigan led the NCAA in rushing touchdowns in 2021 (39) and 2023 (40) and finished second in 2022 (41).

In addition, the Wolverines have ranked among the top five nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed twice in Moore’s three seasons mentoring the offensive line, listing as the NCAA leader in 2021 and finishing fourth in 2023. The unit also listed among the top 30 nationally in fewest sacks allowed all three seasons.

Six tight ends combined for 119 receptions for 1,611 yards and 13 touchdowns in Moore’s three seasons leading the position group at U-M. Those players combined to earn one third-team All-Big Ten honor and three all-conference honorable mentions.

He was selected for and participated in the inaugural 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association at their January 2018 convention.

Moore joined the Michigan coaching staff after four seasons at Central Michigan (2014-17). He mentored the Chippewas tight ends during his time with the program and added the duties of assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2017 season.

Prior to his time in Mt. Pleasant, Moore spent five seasons at the University of Louisville, where he was a graduate assistant coach for three seasons (2009-11) and the program’s tight ends coach for two seasons (2012-13). As a full-time coach, the Cardinals had a 23-3 record with a BCS bowl appearance and a Big East Championship in 2012.

Moore played two seasons along the offensive line for the University of Oklahoma (2006-07). He saw action in 14 games at offensive guard and helped the Sooners win two Big 12 Championships and play in two BCS bowl games. Before joining the Sooners, Moore was a two-year starter at Butler County (Kansas) Community College. He was a member of two conference championship teams that posted a 20-3 record. Moore earned second-team all-conference accolades.

Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Oklahoma in 2008.

He and his wife, Kelli, who were married in 2015, are the parents of two daughters: Shiloh and Solei.