Michigan has elevated offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh as the program’s head coach following Harbaugh’s departure for the Los Angeles Chargers, the school announced on Friday. Moore spent the past six seasons on the Wolverines’ staff and served as Michigan’s acting head coach for four games in 2023 amid a pair of Harbaugh suspensions.
“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,” Moore said in a statement. “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.”
The move signals Michigan’s desire for continuity amid an undesirably timed coaching transition. On the heels of the program’s first national championship since 1997, the Wolverines are already dealing with the departures of several star players for the NFL Draft. Promoting Moore, a well-respected staff veteran and emotional leader, should give Michigan a chance to avoid an exodus of talent to the transfer portal as well.
Moore emerged as a leading face and voice for the program in 2023 as he called the shots on the sideline in November during a three-game suspension for Harbaugh amid the program’s sign-stealing scandal. In particular, his emotional on-field interview following the Wolverines’ win over Penn State elevated Moore’s national visibility.
“Sherrone has proven to be a great leader for our football program, especially the offensive line and players on the offensive side of the football,” athletic director Warde Manuel said. “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.”
Moore, 37, played on the offensive line for Oklahoma under Bob Stoops before beginning his coaching career under Steve Kragthorpe and Charlie Strong at Louisville from 2009-13. He’s worked in the state of Michigan ever since. Moore was the tight ends coach at Central Michigan from 2014-17 before landing in the same role at Michigan in 2018. He earned the title of co-offensive coordinator in 2021 and took over as sole offensive coordinator in 2023.
He’s also been in charge of an elite offensive line over the past three seasons, leading Michigan to consecutive Joe Moore Awards in 2021 and 2022.
CBS Sports will update this story shortly.
