Sherrone Moore officially announced as Michigan Football head coach

As expected, Michigan Football has named Sherrone Moore the next J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach.

“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.”

When Moore was seen as a head coach candidate toward the end of the 2022 season, Harbaugh was cut and dry and how ready he felt Moore was.

“Athletic directors are calling, ‘Hey, is Sherrone Moore ready to be a head coach?’ Beyond ready to be a head coach, Sherrone Moore.”

With Harbaugh exiting, he, of course, recommended that Moore take over at Michigan. Possibly, Harbaugh felt better leaving Michigan now, not just because he had accomplished it all by winning a National Championship, but because he knew he could leave the program in the hands of a man he trusts.

Sherrone Moore came to Michigan before the 2018 season to coach tight ends, the same position he had held previously at Central Michigan. Moore was also the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Chips. Some questioned the move initially, a common theme that has followed Moore's time in Ann Arbor.

Moore made an immediate impact on the field with players like Nick Eubanks and Sean McKeon. On the recruiting trail was no different, with Moore landing fellow Oklahoman Daxton Hill in the 2019 class. Moore was involved in the recruitments of JJ McCarthy, Donovan Edwards, Mazi Smith, Braiden McGregor, Mazi Smith, Trevor Keegan, and many more.

In 2021, Harbaugh once again showed his faith in Moore, promoting him to offensive line coach to replace Ed Warinner. This was another move many questioned given Warinner's history and Moore's greenness when it came to coaching offensive line. Moore of course himself played offensive line at Oklahoma, and worked with the OL as a grad assistant at Louisville under Charlie Strong, but how do you replace a veteran like Warinner?

Moore would go on to lead the offensive line to two straight Joe Moore Awards as the best offensive line unit in college football. The group was essential to the resurgence of Michigan Football in 2021 and the return to the power run game Jim Harbaugh has utilized throughout his career.

Moore was also given the title of co-offensive coordinator and given a bigger say in the offense, first alongside Josh Gattis and then Matt Weiss. After the 2022 season, Moore was given the role of sole offensive coordinator. And the difficult task of continuing to coach the offensive line while being coordinator.

Moore wore two hats throughout Michigan's 2023 National Championship season and added a third, serving as acting head coach once during Harbaugh's three-game suspension to start the season and in Michigan's final three games against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State while Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten Conference.

Harbaugh consistently cited not only his trust in Moore, but the players trust in Moore when it came to giving him the acting head coach role during Michigan's most important stretch. As soon as news broke of Harbaugh to the Chargers, players and recruits hit social media to show support for Harbaugh, Michigan, and Moore as its next head coach.

No one knows how Moore's tenure at Michigan will go. What we know is he has been doubted at almost every step and done nothing but exceed expectations. The one man who never doubted him, Jim Harbaugh, believes he is the man to lead Michigan, and Michigan agrees.

There will be changes, no doubt, as Moore works to put his own imprint on Michigan, but as Harbaugh leaves for Los Angeles, he leaves Michigan in a better place than we arrived. Maintaining the culture that he built with coaches like Moore will be priority number one for Moore. He will have to build his first staff, looking back to what got Michigan to the top of college football while looking forward to what can keep it there.

The Harbaugh era has ended at Michigan, and its time for Moore.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram