Things have been moving quickly for the Michigan Wolverines the last few days. On Wednesday, it was announced that Jim Harbaugh was leaving the program to accept the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Chargers. Just two days later, it was made official that former Wolverine offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore would take over as head coach for the team moving forward.
In those 48 hours, after Harbaugh was gone, there was a lot of speculation over which direction the program would go. Coach Moore’s name was thrown out there quickly and would be considered the heavy front-runner.
Of course, there was some pushback to that ideology, specifically because he had no prior head coaching experience (besides for multiple games this season in place of a suspended Harbaugh).
Moore is also only 37 years old, which is young for a coach who is the CEO of one of the most historical programs in college football.
In theory, a program could garner interest from a long list of head coaching candidates with more impressive resumes, a longer list of accolades, and far more overall experience. When you take a step back, however, Moore was the correct choice. You could argue he was the only choice.
Yes, there is an inherent risk with Coach Moore. Nobody has any idea how good of a coach he will be, or if he will be any good at all. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that he knows the formula. Moore knows what it takes to lead the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997, a year when they had to technically share the title with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This was also the first time Michigan had beaten Ohio State for three straight seasons since their stretch from 1995-1997.
Experience matters and no outside head coach Michigan could have brought in had that particular distinction on their resume. The familiarity Moore brings to the team is also massive, which should help keep the roster intact. There’s no wondering what the exodus would have looked like if a new staff was brought in. Now you have all but solidified that a strong core of running back Donovan Edwards, tight end Colston Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson, and defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant all return.
Perhaps the most important part of promoting Moore is that you keep the team’s identity intact as well. The Wolverines had a talented squad but what made them so good was the demeanor and attitude they played with. They routinely beat more talented teams down the stretch because they were physically imposing. They were relentless.
Maybe a new coach could sustain that edge but the odds are against them. Coach Moore absolutely can, because he was a part of it being instilled in their team. If the Wolverine loses that, then they lose this window. There is nothing to sustain.
It’s not that Moore was the best candidate or that he is guaranteed to keep the program rolling. It is a bit of a gamble to a degree, but in the end, Coach Moore is what Michigan football needs: consistency, relentlessness, an edge.