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.
