Former University of Michigan and Detroit Lions coach Gary Moeller has died at the age of 81, the school announced Monday. The cause of his death was not immediately released.
Moeller was part of the Wolverines' program for 23 years, including the head coach from 1990-94 after multiple stints as an assistant.
He won four bowl games in five years, including the 1993 Rose Bowl. Moeller also led the Wolverines to three Big Ten championships and five straight finishes in the top 20 of the final national polls.
Moeller’s Wolverines won 19 straight conference games between 1990-92, which was a Big Ten record at the time. The 1990 Big Ten title made him one of the only coaches in school history to do so in his first season at the helm, alongside legends Fielding Yost, Bennie Oosterbaan and Bo Schembechler.
Moeller also had a short stint as interim head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2000, after spending parts of three seasons as the linebackers coach for the team.
Lloyd Carr, Moeller's successor, called him "a great family man, great friend, great coach and a man of integrity and high character."
"I admired him, I respected him and I loved him," Carr said.
Moeller is survived by his wife, Ann, three daughters, Susan, Amy and Molly, and son, Andy, a former linebacker and captain for the Wolverines.
The family will hold a visitation on Friday from 2-8 p.m. at Chiles-Laman Funeral Home in Lima, Ohio (1170 Shawnee Road). A private family funeral will be held on Saturday.
"I was fortunate enough to work with Coach Mo at both Miami (Ohio) and Michigan. Gary Moeller was a coach that looked out for everyone that worked with him and for all of the players that played for him and represented our program," former Michigan football equipment manager John Falk said in a statement. "He was a good-hearted man who made decisions and sought input from his staff to make sure that the decisions were right for Michigan. Gary Moeller will be missed but will not be forgotten. He was a great Michigan Man and close friend to my family."
