- Michigan has fired head coach Sherrone Moore after a university investigation found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
- Moore, who succeeded Jim Harbaugh, coached for two seasons and was previously suspended for his role in a sign-stealing scandal.
- The university will conduct a national search for a replacement, with potential candidates including Jeff Brohm, Mike Elko, and Kalen DeBoer.
Michigan has fired coach Sherrone Moore after a university investigation found credible evidence he “engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” athletics director Warde Manuel said.
The successor to Jim Harbaugh lasted just two seasons with the Wolverines. Moore went 16-8 overall, counting one game as the replacement for a suspended Harbaugh in 2023. Moore was also suspended for two games this past season due to his part in the program’s sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan has promoted Biff Poggi, this year’s associate head coach, into the interim role for the Citrus Bowl against No. 14 Texas. Poggi was the interim coach this season when Moore served his suspension.
Look for Manuel and the administration to conduct a national search to find Moore’s replacement.
Michigan remains one of the premier positions in college football. But with many candidates off the market at this point in the calendar — with some hired elsewhere and more drawing lucrative contract extensions — there is definite uncertainty over where the search will land.
Here are the early candidates for the opening:
Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Brohm was connected to the Penn State search before stepping away to recommit to Louisville. While he’s settled into a very secure situation with the Cardinals, Brohm was at the very least interested in the vacancy with the Nittany Lions and would seemingly be receptive to Michigan’s overtures. He has Big Ten experience at Purdue, a clear area of expertise on offense and has developed multiple high-end quarterbacks dating to his three-year run at Western Kentucky.
Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Elko, like Brohm, was part of Penn State during the school’s winding search and opted to remain at A&M with a reworked contract. That he could be pulled away by a different Big Ten opening is unknown. But Elko would be nearly a perfect fit, thanks to his defensive expertise, program-building experience and winning ways across his four years as a Power Four head coach.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
This will take some work. Leaving Alabama for Michigan is a lateral move at best, though there is slightly less competitiveness for the top three spots in the Big Ten compared to the SEC. Here’s why the Wolverines might have a shot: DeBoer continues to be compared to his predecessor, Nick Saban, and might be looking for a soft landing after two stressful seasons with the Crimson Tide. The South Dakota-born former Washington coach previously worked at Eastern Michigan and Indiana.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Lea was another sitting Power Four coach to earn an extension on the heels of Penn State’s interest. That new contract might include a significantly bigger buyout, which could eliminate Lea from contention. But he’s young, has shown a deft touch in transforming the Commodores into a College Football Playoff contender and previously worked for three years at Notre Dame. Younger than DeBoer, Elko and Brohm, Lea could represent a forward-looking hire with room for continued growth on the job.
Jesse Minter, San Diego Chargers
Tapping into Harbaugh’s coaching tree to hire Moore didn’t work out well for Michigan with Moore. That may lead to some queasiness over hiring Minter, who was the defensive coordinator for the Wolverines from 2022-23 and then followed Harbaugh to the San Diego Chargers. But Michigan has historically placed intense value on connections to the program. That makes Minter a strong candidate, though he is also under consideration for NFL openings.
Dan Mullen, UNLV
The former Mississippi State and Florida coach hit the ground running at UNLV, leading the Rebels to 10 wins, the Mountain West championship game and a matchup against Ohio in the Frisco Bowl. Mullen’s name came up in the past for other Michigan searches, thanks to his success in the SEC and Northeast ties. As much as any potential candidate, Mullen has a proven program-building formula and the personality to handle the stress and expectations in Ann Arbor.
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Heupel denied any interest in Penn State and seems locked into bringing Tennessee back into the playoff after a slightly disappointing season. That seems doubly true after his recent decision to fire longtime defensive coordinator Tim Banks and the expected hire Jim Knowles, who previously worked at Ohio State and Penn Stated. But Heupel is an offensive technician who would quickly get the best out of rising sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, who had a hit-and-miss debut season.
Jedd Fisch, Washington
While there are other Big Ten coaches who could factor into this search, including Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck and potentially even Nebraska’s Matt Rhule — Rhule did sign an extension in October that boosted his buyout to $15 million — Fisch is the most logical candidate from within the conference. He previously spent two years as Harbaugh’s quarterbacks coach from 2015-16, did an outstanding job rebuilding Arizona over his three seasons and won eight games in his second year with the Huskies.
(This story was updated to add a video.)
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