Two days after Jim Harbaugh left to return to the NFL, the Michigan football program has its man. And it's the one many expected to take the reins following the Wolverines' national championship triumph.
School officials announced Friday night Sherrone Moore will be the next head coach of the Wolverines, who are coming off the program’s first national title since the 1997 season.
Moore, 37, has spent the last six years on Michigan’s offensive staff, including a stint as offensive coordinator in the Wolverines’ title-winning season. He becomes the 21st head football coach in school history and the first African American to lead the program.
Moore served as interim coach in four games this season, including an early-season game against Bowling Green and the final three regular season games, all filling in as Harbaugh served two separate suspensions for two separate alleged NCAA rules violations. He posted a 4-0 record, including a memorable win over Ohio State in the regular season finale.
Moore says it’s a moment he’s been “preparing my entire coaching career for.”
"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," Moore said, per a press release. "I also want to thank Athletic Director Warde Manuel, President Santa Ono and members of the Board of Regents for putting their faith and trust in me to be the next leader of this football program. I am excited to reward that trust.
"We will do everything each day as a TEAM to continue the legacy of championship football that has been played at the University of Michigan for the past 144 years. Our standards will not change. We will be a tough, physical, disciplined, hungry, 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,” the release said.
Manuel said Moore has “proven to be a great leader for our football program, especially the offensive line and players on the offensive side of the football,"
"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,” Manuel said.
Moore was the Wolverines' tight ends coach during his first three seasons (2018-20) and moved over to coach the offensive line for three years prior to taking over as OC.
He arrived in Ann Arbor after spending four seasons as an assistant at Central Michigan, following stops at the University of Louisville. He played two seasons as an offensive lineman at Oklahoma University, winning two Big 12 titles. He began his playing career at Butler Community College in Kansas.