Michigan football to lean on championship DNA following 2-game suspension of Sherrone Moore

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines football program has suspended head coach Sherrone Moore for two games due to the advance scouting case involving Connor Stalions during the 2023 season.

The announcement followed an ESPN report on May 5 stating that Moore would miss Weeks 3 and 4 of the 2024 schedule.

During this time, the Wolverines will host the Central Michigan Chippewas on Sept. 13 and travel to Memorial Stadium on Sept. 20 to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The men in maize open the season against the New Mexico Lobos and then travel to Moore’s old stomping grounds as they play the Oklahoma Sooners.

The report indicated that Moore would be suspended due to the ongoing investigation surrounding Stalions, the former staff member who resigned midway through the 2023 season.

Speaking of the 2023 season, that was the last time a Wolverines head coach was suspended midway through the season, which led Michigan to their first national championship in football since 1998, when Jim Harbaugh served a total of six games.

Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the season and was then suspended by the Big Ten for the remaining three games of the Wolverines’ toughest regular-season schedule.

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Unlike Harbaugh, Moore cannot participate in team-related activities, which could impact freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who could be the starter.

If so, Underwood could get his first road test in a hostile environment at Memorial Stadium without his head coach roaming the sideline.

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With Harbaugh missing, Moore stepped up to lead the ship ahead of their most brutal stretch of the 2023 schedule as they beat the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Maryland Terrapins on the road before defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes at home to cap off their 12-0 season.

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Moore was the offensive coordinator during the 2023 season, and he ended the regular season with a 4-0 record.

During Harbaugh’s self-imposed three-game suspension, Moore, Jesse Minter, Jay Harbaugh (Coached one half), and Mike Hart (Coached one half) served as head coaches at the collegiate level to improve to 6-0.

Stalions is accused of sending people to games involving future Michigan opponents and having them send him cellphone video of the sideline signals.

Moore’s suspension was due to him allegedly deleting text messages with Stalions before they were recovered and provided to the NCAA.

He said he would continue cooperating with the NCAA’s investigation. In addition to the suspension, Moore is expected to receive recruiting-related penalties.

The Wolverines were previously put on three years’ probation, fined, and implemented recruiting limits after agreeing to a negotiated resolution in a recruiting case.

Harbaugh was hit with a four-year show-cause order for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minter, the former defensive coordinator and now DC for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Steve Clinkscale recently received show-cause penalties for their roles in recruiting violations.

Minter received a one-year ban, meaning he could not get a job with the NCAA if he returned to college sports.

Clinkscale, the former defensive backs coach, received a two-year show-cause order.

If he returns to coaching in the NCAA, he would serve a half-year suspension.

Minter and Clinkscale both admitted to violations during an investigation by the NCAA.

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The puzzling part is that NCAA President Charlie Baker said ahead of the National Championship game vs. the Washington Huskies that they’d be declared the champions fair and square if Michigan won.

Now, to have these drips of knowledge two years later is head scratching, but nonetheless, Moore agreed to sit down for two games to get ahead of the NCAA’s potential punishment.

But to still discuss something two years later is head-scratching. At this point, either drop all of the information or move on.

In Moore’s absence, who should be the head coach? If Underwood is under center, then Michigan should go with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey to give the freshman phenom a familiar face during his time of need.

If the Wolverines go with veteran Mikey Keene, who is dealing with an injury at the moment, they’d probably go with Wink Martindale would have them humming on defense while Lindsey could just focus on moving the ball downfield.

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