New Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore said he doesn’t plan to tinker much with success.
Moore was formally introduced Saturday as the successor to Jim Harbaugh, who led the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff title before returning to the NFL this week as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. And Moore said he doesn’t plan to differ much from the philosophy Harbaugh and his staff laid out for the team.
“I want the players to be as comfortable as possible as we move forward,” Moore said.
Michigan announced the hiring of Moore, who served as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, on Friday night. He was given a five-year deal at $6 million a year with incentives that could add millions more, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Moore was in charge of the team for four games while Harbaugh served suspensions in 2023 and the Wolverines were 4-0 under his leadership.
This is the first full-time head coach job for Moore, who turns 38 on Feb. 3. He said those four games gave him a sample of what he will face in his new job and is counting on the Michigan staff to help him. He said he wants to keep as many members of Harbaugh’s staff as he can.
He said an equal priority is reaching out to the players, both currently on the roster and those intending to play at Michigan, to let them know that they come first.
“I coach hard, but I love harder,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, they know that I’m going to do everything in the best interest for them and this team.”
Moore is taking over a historic program coming off a 15-0, national championship season. It could be a daunting task, but Moore said he is ready.
“I’ve grown tremendously in every phase, from a leadership standpoint, a delegation standpoint, a football standpoint, personal, recruiting,” said Moore, who joined Harbaugh’s staff in 2018 as tight ends coach and later was promoted to offensive coordinator.
And while not a Michigan alum like Harbaugh, Moore clearly has the maize and blue in his blood now.
“The love for Michigan is undeniable and really indescribable for me. This place is special. When you come here and you feel it, it’s a lot different. It’s something I don’t ever want to let go,” he said.
Though he wasn’t in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Harbaugh remained a topic of discussion, with both Moore and athletic director Warde Manuel paying tribute to the former coach.
Moore said he’d lean on Harbaugh for advice, and Manuel said he always will be part of the Wolvcerines.
“I want to thank Jim for his nine years of service and contributions to Michigan football and our greatness. He we always be remembered by us,” Manuel said, adding he’d be cheering for the Chargers.
“If the timing is right, Sherrone and I would like him to come back as a captain of game this year, if the byes work out, and as (Moore) says, take a long and slow bow in front of all the fans.”
Moore will face a difficult schedule in his first season. The Wolverines open Aug. 31 against Fresno State, then face Texas on Sept. 7 before beginning play in the revamped Big Ten. They have Southern California, Oregon and Washington — the team the Wolverines beat in the CFP title game — on the schedule, which ends Nov. 30 with their rivalry game at Ohio State.
–Field Level Media