ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Sherrone Moore talked about how much the University of Michigan means to him as he was officially introduced as the new head coach of the football program.
Moore, 37, was the obvious choice for Michigan after Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers. He not only led the Wolverines to four wins as a head coach during Harbaugh suspensions last season, he also has the clear support of his players and fellow coaches.
Continuity is increasingly rare in this era of college football. Coaches, players, and recruits are constantly switching teams, and even schools jump between conferences.
One of the reasons Michigan was able to win a national championship last season was because of continuity -- players like Mike Sainristil, Michael Barrett, Blake Corum, Trevor Keegan, and Zak Zinter stayed in Ann Arbor for several years.
Michigan hopes Moore can continue what Harbaugh built over the past nine years. Michigan is the only program to make each of the past three College Football Playoffs, and one of the five schools that dominated the four-team playoff era (along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State).
On Saturday, Moore said his team isn’t satisfied with what they’ve achieved and that they’re hungry for more. He said the process has already started to continue to uphold Michigan’s championship standard.
Moore also quoted Jack Harbaugh and dropped a signature “smash” at the end of his opening statement.
“We will continue to attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, and I promise you, we will smash,” Moore said.
He said he probably won’t continue to call plays on offense, but he’s “got a pretty good idea” who he will put in that role. It’s possible that duty could fall to former quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell, who figures to be a prime candidate for Moore’s now-open offensive coordinator position.
Acting as the head coach for four games -- especially when he found out he would be doing so just 90 minutes before the Penn State game -- helped prepare Moore for the gameday duties he’ll face in his new position, he said.
Moore also said being the first Black coach at Michigan is an honor and a privilege that he doesn’t take lightly.
“I want to show that if you’re a good coach and work your tail off, dreams can come true,” Moore said.
Moore said over the past six years -- the longest he’s spent at any of his coaching stops -- he’s come to love the University of Michigan.
“The love for Michigan is undeniable, and it’s indescribable to me,” Moore said. “This place is special. When you come here and you feel it, it’s a lot different, and it’s something I don’t ever want to let go.”
Moore said he loves Jim Harbaugh, but he can’t be Jim Harbaugh.
“So I’m going to be me,” Moore said. “If you’re not yourself, you’re going to lose the people around you. So I’m going to be myself.”
Michigan will have a very different look next season, with starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, star running back Blake Corum, defensive leaders Sainristil and Barrett, and most of Moore’s hand-picked starting offensive line moving on to the NFL.
But there are pieces in place for another strong defense if Moore can keep stars like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, Rod Moore, Derrick Moore, and Josaiah Stewart in Ann Arbor.
With an incredibly difficult schedule, the 12-team playoff, and four conference foes, Moore has his hands full heading into the 2024 season.
