Turning over the Jim Harbaugh era was something Michigan did quickly. Two days following Harbaugh’s signing with the Los Angeles Chargers, Sherrone Moore, the former offensive coordinator for the Wolverines, was elevated to head coach.
Promoting the 37-year-old from within was acceptable to the Wolverine brass, who preferred not to conduct a protracted search for a seasoned head coach. It raises the question of whether Moore would be fit to take over as head of a programme that would compete for a championship.
Progressing in the coaching ranks has not happened suddenly for Moore. While pursuing his master’s degree in sports administration, the Kansas native began his career at Louisville in 2009 as a graduate assistant. The Cardinals made two trips to bowl games at that period, so he was exposed to a successful programme right away.
He became a tight ends coach in 2011 after earning his degree. He departed the Power 5 after the 2013 season to play for the MAC’s Central Michigan University. Even with a smaller programme, the Chippewas allowed him to develop tight ends of NFL calibre in Ben McCord and Tyler Conklin. At the moment, they are both players for the New York Jets and Detroit Lions. For the past three seasons, Conklin has been the starter.
In 2018, Moore at last brought his skills to Ann Arbour, where he once more began as the tight ends coach before moving to the offensive line. The hotshot coach was more than qualified to train players in the trenches, having served as a lineman in his own right. Between 2006 and 2007, he was a guard for Oklahoma, where he helped the Sooners win two Big 12 crowns.
Under Moore’s direction, the Michigan offensive line had a superb run game, highlighted by the historic 2023 season of running back Blake Corum, who set a record with 28 touchdowns in all. Moore was now juggling both managing the offensive line and the team’s overall offensive scheme.
In addition, Moore was 4-0 in his interim role as head coach following Harbaugh’s NCAA suspension in 2018. Moore shot to national prominence after victories over Penn State and Ohio State demonstrated his ability to compete with players like Ryan Day.
Moore’s playcalling choices at the end of the Penn State victory might serve as a preview of the Wolverines’ next seasons. In order to complete the game, he called 32 straight run plays, totally overwhelming the Nittany Lions in the trenches and securing the 24–15 victory.
His history indicates that he will continue to prioritise the run game, even though the offence may never go that long without throwing the ball. Although Moore acknowledged that the offensive coordinator will likely take over playcalling responsibilities, his main goal is to ensure a seamless transition and maintain programme consistency.
In his opening news conference, he stated, “There are a lot of things, but I want to start with our players here, our staff here, and take it from there.” The NFL draft declarations of quarterback JJ McCarthy and linebacker Corum mean that Moore needs to stick to his run-first offensive philosophy to avoid throwing the team off balance with too many changes at once.
The Wolverines should be able to maintain their success in the trenches with the addition of four-star prospects Andrew Sprague (offensive tackle), Jadyn Davis (quarterback), and Jordan Marshall (running back). This might provide Davis with more opportunity to play play-action.
