Michigan football hasn’t had many head coaches fail, but here’s a look at three or worst in the history of the Wolverines.
Michigan football has a rich history, one that got even stronger with the 2023 national championship. Most of the head coaches who have roamed the sidelines in the modern era have been successful.
Even before that, Michigan football head coaches tended to win…a lot. There is a reason that the Wolverines are the only college football team to have won 1,000 games. U-M also has 45 conference titles and 12 claimed national titles.
In my book, based on what he achieved, Jim Harbaugh made himself the greatest Michigan football head coach of all time.
Sherrone Moore was hired as his replacement and with that in mind, we look at the three worst hires in program history, which doesn’t include Moore by the way. (We love that move).
3. Tad Wieman (1927-28)
Michigan football hasn’t missed on many head coaches over the years so I had to go back to Tad Wieman, who took over for Fielding Yost to find No. 3 for our list.
Fielding Yost won 204 games and was the first truly great coach of the Wolverines. His replacement wasn’t really up to snuff though as Tad Wieman lasted just one season. The Wolverines went 6-2 in his first season replacing Yost in 1927.
Yet, without Bennie Ooserbaan in the 1928 season, Michigan fooball went 3-4-1. Yost actually indicated before the season that he was going to come out of retirement before announcing that Wieman would remain the head coach before the season.
Wieman was replaced that spring. Harry Kipke was 46-26 yet he won two national titles and four conference championships.
