Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will be a head coach in college football very soon and numerous industry insiders suggest he could succeed Jim Harbaugh should he leave for the NFL. Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider told 247Sports Sunday that maintaining “the Michigan way” is top priority and there is an easy choice to make, if needed.
“The next best option (if Harbaugh signs an NFL contract) for preserving the culture is hiring Harbaugh’s no. 1 assistant, and that’s Sherrone Moore,” Webb said. “Sherrone has been at Michigan six years, and in that time worked his way up from tight ends coach, to offensive line coach, to coordinator. He coached a unit that won the Joe Moore award two years in a row. He was the guy under fire at the end of the season, and not just as a stand in.
“He had to make battlefield decisions on the road against Penn State when his offense couldn’t block the Nittany Lions’ pass rush, and he changed the game plan on the fly in a winning way. Then, two weeks later, he made aggressive, game-winning decisions against Ohio State.”
Chris Hummer recently profiled Moore ahead of the College Football Playoff national championship and spoke with various coaching sources and players on his rise within the industry.
“We saw some high-level football thinking from him, from like a chess match standpoint,” Michigan first-team All-Big Ten left tackle LaDarius Henderson told 247Sports about Moore’s role in the Wolverines’ win over Penn State this season. “Not just the play calling but the acting involved with the play was so deep. I was like, ‘This guy might be the smartest college football coach.’”
Moore held various roles at Michigan and excelled in all of them, eventually leading to his sparkling showing as interim head coach this season during Harbaugh’s absence. Not only did Moore help Michigan beat Penn State without Harbaugh, but the Wolverines managed to avoid an upset against Maryland on the road and took out previously-unbeaten Ohio State to clinch another berth in the Big Ten title game with him leading the charge.
“I think Michigan’s administration saw enough to say while they’ll do a search and talk to national people, their respect for the job that Sherrone has done and their belief that he can carry on Jim Harbaugh’s culture makes him the overwhelming favorite to become Michigan’s next coach if Harbaugh goes to the NFL,” Webb said.
RELATED: The case for Moore as a head-coaching candidate
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman suggested that Moore’s situation mirrors similar coordinator-to-leading roles moves in recent years, including Ohio State’s Urban Meyer to Ryan Day plan.
With Harbaugh reportedly set to have his second interview with the Atlanta Falcons this week amid continued contract discussions with the Wolverines, it’s clear the program needs a succession plan if it’s facing a coaching search very soon. The Michigan Insider reports Harbaugh’s upcoming second meeting with Arthur Blank and the Falcons is a significant development considering previous conversations with the Los Angeles Chargers and the likelihood the NFC franchise could provide a higher salary than other options.
Webb said this week on CBS Sports HQ that the threat level Harbaugh leaves Michigan for the NFL is “greater” this offseason than it was last year. Salary implications and contract verbiage are major factors in Harbaugh’s pending decision, Webb said, along with NFL front office and managerial scenarios he may find appealing.
Harbaugh hasn’t ruled out a long-term extension at Michigan if certain expectations despite his interviews last week with the Chargers and Falcons, Yahoo Sports reports. Specifically, Yahoo Sports reports that Harbaugh wants immunity from termination if there’s any blowback regarding multiple NCAA investigations into Michigan football and a decreased buyout should he decide to leave for an NFL opportunity in the future.
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The fact Harbaugh is still in talks about an extension backs up what Michigan director of athletics Warde Manuel assured Wolverines fans for weeks regarding his efforts to keep the national championship-winning coach around for 2024 and beyond.
