Gary Moeller Has Passed Away
My icebreaker question when I meet a football coach is to ask what's his signature drill. They all have them, they all have a point, and the point that the coach wants to emphasize will tell you a lot about what he values.
Via former Michigan linebacker Jim Scarcelli, Gary Moeller's drill was called "The Perfect Play" and here's how Scarcelli described it:
So it started with a sprint to Coach Moeller. He would stand somewhere and give you a formation. … and the sprint has to be perfect. The adjustment and the alignments have to be perfect. The communication has to be perfect. So when all that it is done, Coach Moeller is going to drop back and the defense is going to drop into a pass coverage, and then he's going to throw the ball. Now we're just playing on air. One of the eleven defensive players has to intercept the ball at its highest point. And then the other ten guys got to run and block, and the player has to score a touchdown, and then all eleven guys gotta go crazy in the endzone.
The point of the drill was to get back to playing the game with intelligence, energy and passion. This is how every guy who ever played for Gary Moeller would describe him as well.
They're all over at Michigan events, these Moeller guys: old men who played for him at Bellefontaine High, men in their 40s who played for him with the Lions, Jaguars, Bengals or Bears, men in their 60s whom he recruited to Illinois, men in their 80s who remember him as an Ohio State captain. They show up at Michigan events with an odd pin or tie that doesn't match the occasion, eager to seek out someone who knows of the Perfect Drill from a vast sea of Gary's maize and blue sons.
Those sons played all over the field too. The young assistant who followed Bo after two years at Miami (not That Miami) would coach the ends, the defense, the quarterbacks, the defense again, the offense, and then the whole damn team for the last five seasons of 23 in Ann Arbor. His Michigan winning percentage of 75.8 is better than that of any man to coach here since. The Arthurian comedy that ended his Michigan career seems more ridiculous with each passing season of college football, his subsequent alienation from the program surely just recompense for any role he might have played in the real tragedy of his time. His final act was a front row seat to the return of Jim Harbaugh, but fittingly the last time we saw him was on the sideline cheering for Michigan against his alma mater, flanked by two of those sons from two different generations, over a rivalry he deserves as much credit for as anyone.
To children of the 90s like myself, the brand of football played under Gary Moeller feels like a moment unappreciated until well after its time, an exhale after the stubborn irascibility of his predecessor and mentor, a breath before the venerable solemnity of his friend and successor. For half a decade, Michigan recruited with the elites, threw the ball downfield, crushed Ohio State, then laughed about it on Michigan Replay. Howard passed into Alexander, Ricky Powers gave way to Tyrone Wheatley, and Elvis entered the building, pursued by a line of pro arms still represented in the NFL today.
Spoiled as we were, this was never mourned in its time. Young Alex Drain asked me once what Michigan fans thought then, and after answering truthfully—back-to-back 8-4 seasons were "unacceptable"—it struck me that we lost something…jejune…about Michigan when we lost Moeller. There was a kidness to early '90s Michigan, a sort of "Let's see what they think of this…" insanity of a man who'd call a sight read fade to Desmond Howard on 4th and 1 of a three-point game then ask Jerry "should I be kicking a field goal?"
His final years were a sufferance of aging's worst indignities, when the surest sign you were at a Michigan event was two men greeting with smiles turning to solemnity and two words: "How's Gary?" Well Gary's fine now, and Michigan plays on, with intelligence, energy, and passion, committed to running it back until we get it perfect, and remembering to end it with a cheer.
Coach Moeller is not known much by the younger generation. He modernized the Michigan offense. Was 3-1-1 vs OSU. He absolutely throttled them, and they were petrified of their former player. Carr's national title team was all Moeller's recruits. Loved his teams and their style of play. And he actually won as interim coach of the Lions, and was a travesty they didn't keep him on. I think he was among the best coaches we ever had.
Godspeed coach Moeller.
Actually he was 3-1-1 against Ohio State. But, that is splitting hairs. He was an excellent coach, every bit as good as Lloyd Carr or better. He also received a raw deal when he was fired. He was out with his wife and friends and had a little too much to drink. Big deal, haven’t most of us done that, in our lifetimes. He loved Michigan and changed boys into men, much like Bo. God bless him. He was a good man.
Well no, I have not, as a grown ass human. If you get drunk in public after your mid 20s it shouldn't be OK. I find it odd you would excuse his firing that way.
That being said, I believe wholeheartedly that one offense of such a nature shouldn't be the undoing of a person. Especially given what character he had demonstrated through his actions in the prior 20 years.
I thought he got a raw deal then, and nothing I've heard since makes me believe any different. My assumption has always been there is something I don't know (that is probably down-thread) or don't remember that contributed.
Not trying to start a debate, but here I go:
If all he did was get extremely drunk, he would have gotten a slap on the wrist. And yes, it's totally okay to be drunk in public in your 30s 40s 50s. Hell I do so every time we play ohio.
But, he scared the shit out of the wait staff and then punched a police officer. For that, they had no choice but to fire him.
Still, one hell of a football coach and we should all be grateful for what he did for the program. I agree he is fairly underappreciated for being one of the best coaches in Michigan Football history.
You are just justifying your own behavior with that statement. It doesn't make it OK. By 25 or so you should have been clued in that getting drunk in public leads to stuff like... well, punching a police officer.
Thank you for reminding me of the incident with the officer. It hasn't been mentioned in the last few years. A whitewashing of the incident that isn't OK either.
I still think he should have been given another chance.
He was out with his wife and friends and had a little too much to drink. Big deal, haven’t most of us done that, in our lifetimes.
A bit of revisionist history, imo. Most of us have probably had a little too much to drink but, by all accounts, he was pretty off the rails that night. He had way more than "a little too much to drink."
That said, did the punishment fit the crime? I wasn't a Michigan guy yet back then (still in HS in Georgia), but in retrospect it seems that losing his job was not out of bounds, as far as consequence.
Then again, there have been coaches retained after much worse. Perhaps a suspension of some sort would have sufficed. I understand that Bo was pretty livid about the whole situation, at Gary, but also at the outcome, as he wanted Moeller disciplined, but retained.
Like the sign said, "Moe, better Blues."
Could not agree more. Coach Carr may have been at the helm in 97 but it was Coach Moe’s men. Still shocked they let him go — seemed odd at the time and overly harsh. Obviously he should have been reprimanded and apologized.
I remember when I first was learning about Michigan football as an early teen, I heard about Gary Moeller and it confused me because I had always just naturally assumed Lloyd Carr had taken over for Bo. So I jumped on the internet to read about Gary Moeller and even as a ~13 year old then it seemed like a rather trivial issue to get fired over. Now 15 years later, it seems insane he was fired for that.
You missed a great, and then sad period, of Michigan football. His teams were tough as nails, and resourceful, and modern in every way. Then they booted him, and I think could have done it differently, such as suspending him and making him take AA classes....but there was a tape recording of the incident, notably, by a sparty cop, that they threatened to release...so Michigan falling on sword, prevented the release. Had they kept him on, they'd have released it to public.
Concur...
Coach Moeller was ahead of his time and modernized Michigan's staid offense more than any of his predecessor's ever have - including Gattis. I still believe to this day that he could have outscored FSU if he hadn't shut down the offense in the second half and tried to 'field position' his team into a win the old fashioned way. He had that to him, that Bo-inspired ability to constrict everything when the game got tight. He tried it out that day, and it failed miserably.
Gary should never have been fired by the Lions. That firing is what got Matt Millen to Detroit - Junior was furious about the firing and, more or less, forced his father into Millen. (To his later credit, he admitted defeat and tried hard to get Millen fired years before Dad actually did it. That's what caused him to walk away from Dad's team.)
His firing from Michigan was just another of the 'harrumph, we're Michigan' moments, where the school and its alumni shoot themselves in the foot over some perceived moral indignity that nobody else cares about.
RIP, Coach Moeller.
What? Jr pushed Millen on Sr. Didn't know he wanted to retain Moeller.
Good point - I don't know if Jr wanted to keep Moeller, but he was pissed enough about the loss to force Millen on Daddy. But yes, he did try hard to get Daddy to dump Millen after a few years. When Sr wouldn't do it, Jr walked away from the Lions under the guise of being too busy running Ford. (Which he rightfully admitted was too much for him when he brought in Mullaly.)
RIP coach Moeller. I’m a young dude that can only wish that I had been alive to experience you as Michigan’s coach.
One thing that I always respected Moeller for was standing up for a beleaguered Michigan coach at a time when almost the entire fan base and a significant part of the Michigan player alumni had turned against him.
I believe Gary openly supported RR after the disastrous 2008 season not because he thought Rodriguez was beyond criticism, but because he believed that open strife and disunity within the Michigan football program was not the right way to do things. He didn't have to do that; nobody would have criticized Moeller if he'd kept his mouth shut and kept his distance from RR. He put himself out there supporting the program and the kids in it as much as he was supporting RR.
I suspect Moeller also did it because he knew from firsthand experience what being a losing coach was like. I bet he had very few friends and supporters by the end of his brief tenure at Illinois, and didn't want RR to go through the same thing.
You know, Don, I thought there was a chance Moeller would somehow go back into the OSU family after the way he was jettisoned here. And was glad he didn't. Always admired the Buckeye who stuck with us.
I was lucky to be a student during the exact four years that Moeller was head coach -- 1990 through 1994. Michigan became known for its prolific passing attacks under his leadership but we still maintained a strong running attack and defense. Those were some good years. I hated the day he was dismissed by the university for something that is pretty mild by today's standards. Rest in peace, coach.
EDIT - just watched that Grbac to Howard video. Awesome and I remember it very well. I watched that live as a student from that end zone but on the opposite corner. It was a great viewing perspective. And when Grbac hitched I thought for sure he held the ball too long and was going to get hit or sacked.
I was also in the student section for that play. i thought they were going to hand off if they snapped it. The thing I remember most was how quiet the stadium got while the ball was in the air [maybe that was just me] and the absolute pandemonium when they signaled touchdown [definitely not just me]. Thanks for the memories, Coach. rest in Peace.
I was in the band all 5 of Moeller's years. What a fun time to be a Michigan fan.
That Desmond play was right in front of us. I'm STILL shocked he made that call. That took brass balls.
RIP Coach Mo. Wish he had gotten a full tenure as coach.
And I loved the video of him questioning his own play call as it was about to be run. A great human touch.
Sap with the W.
I was a Junior that season. We all assumed that when Michigan lined up against ND on 4th and 1 that Grbac would try to hard count and draw the Irish offsides. I was shocked when they snapped the ball, then Grbac dropped back to pass and then he went to the end zone with it! That’s when you knew that Moeller was not going to be Bo Jr.
As I recall from Brandstatter's book, Moeller actually called a shallow hitch- the corner rolled up late on Desmond, so he took off. That's why Grbac pumps at the beginning of the play- he was expecting to throw much earlier.
Moeller was apparently horrified while the play was happening, but had no complaints after it happened.
You're close. Spoken with guys on that team at length and seen the playbooks. You can very clearly hear Mo asking if they want "a Caesar" on the play. That's a sight option, as they called it, or an option route, specifically one where you come under if the CB plays off and go deep if he comes down (Caesar=C=read on the CB). The pump is part of the routine.
RIP Coach. You are missed.
That is the best god damned video.
I'll go to my grave thinking the 1990 team was amazing. Robbed at ND, robbed vs MSU in an amazingly gutsy call to go for 2, heartbroken vs Iowa, and still recovered to beat OSU and destroy in their bowl game.
The player of the bowl game: the Michigan offensive line!
Imagine if he was never let go...
He was a great recruiter. We stole high profile recruits out of Ohio on the regular. Our two Heisman trophy winners come to mind. If rated by today's services, Des and Charles would be 5-star players and top 10 or 15 recruits nationally. OSU's absolute disgust for everything Michigan probably peaked in those years, thanks in large part to Mo.
I mean, he recruited Rick Leach and Charles Woodson.
I learned something new when I just read that Coach Moeller recruited Leach. But I'm not surprised, Gary Moeller was one helluva talent evaluator.
Thanks Seth.
I’m sure Moeller was a tremendous talent evaluator as Michigan had tons of talent under him. But how much talent evaluation was needed to find Rick Leach? Cannon arm, can run, is tough, could go pro in 2 sports.
I have thought about that on occasion. Generally, I conclude it would have been better than the reality.
I've thought the same thing so many times over the years. If he'd been allowed to run out the string, there's a good chance he could've coached here until 2005, at least, and Lloyd would just be a footnote. As others have said, today such an infraction would get a slap on the wrist. Even back then I felt it was harsh for a first infraction.
Players love to play for a coach who has enough confidence in you that he'll stick his neck out and take the heat if you fail. I liked his creativity, his gutsiness, and his straightforward dealings with his players. It felt like he was born to coach, to lead and mold young men, and he will always be remembered by many of us. Rest in peace, Coach.
RIP Coach. The first game I ever attended at Michigan Stadium (my first game as a Michigan fan) was that Notre Dame game pictured above. It was glorious! I never knew until now that Mo was miked up for that famous play. He was and is underrated.
This is great, Seth. Thank you.
Rest in peace, Coach.
That was an excellent tribute, Seth.
RIP Coach.
Damn fine writing Seth! My how you've grown - I think we all assumed Brian was the born writer!
Glad we get to enjoy your imagination, wit, knowledge.
Thank you!
Seth is an outstanding writer. Definitely on the Brian Cook / Spencer Hall level of excellence.
RIP coach. Loved what you brought to UM. You were one of the great ones
R.I.P. Coach Mo. Some of the earliest Michigan teams I can recall watching live, ones I'd watch on NETWORK TV with my Grandfather in the living room, were coached by Moeller. I remember conversations like "Michael Stonebreaker is a pretty good name for a football player, eh?" even though he was a Notre Dame guy.
That era helped form my allegiance to the maize and blue, long before I ever set foot on campus. Thankfully, Keith Jackson is still alive to do PBP and remind me of that great era.
Lastly, I don't want to come off like a fanboy, but hot damn is it amazing how quick Seth comes out with a great piece like this. For the recruiting stuff, I always sort of figured the speed of the post was somewhat due to having it partially completed, but there's no way of knowing someone would die and have the corresponding piece ready to go. Right? Anyway, just wanted to tell Seth that he continues to do a fantastic job making this a great fan blog. You are appreciated! Thanks, Ace.
Yes, Ace's writing here is right up there with Keith Jackson's announcing!
I don't know about here on the blog, but a fellow UM alum friend of mine was on the big-city paper before becoming an independent journo (doing ground-breaking work,) and she told me that writers frequently get assigned to write pre-death obits of major figures they can have "in the can" ready to be tuned up at a moment's notice when the time comes.
Best recruiter ever and a guy who wasn't afraid to let his players have fun out there.
Sure, he could've won more with a more boring approach, but honestly, I remember more games from the Moeller era with a smile than anyone else's, even the losses.
It's a shame that Coach Moeller's passing doesn't get a fraction of the notoriety that Bo's passing did. Gary Moeller followed Bo to Michigan, forsaking their Ohio roots, and was central to the success of those teams.
On a more personal note, Gary lived out north of town and was a frequent visitor to the hardware store my best friend managed, enough so that, in my much less frequent visits, I would bump into Gary and my friend shooting the breeze. My impression was of a reserved, polite, and unassuming midwesterner. I couldn't imagine him roaring up and down the sidelines, but that was his job. Outside of it, he was just a regular guy looking for 2" #8 wood screws.
RIP, Coach Mo
I had always heard that about him too. And that the incident was completely out of character for him.
Now that's funny. A regular ole' Joe. RIP Coach. You will forever be remembered. I can't comment too much on your firing, except the fact that it,"broke my heart!"
Really nice piece, Seth.
I was already a long-established Wolverine fan by the time Moeller took over, and I was repeatedly disappointed by Michigan's records under his leadership ... but even at the time I recognized how much fun Michigan football was. Remembering Jon Vaughn's remarkable start in 1990, for instance, and of course Alexander to Desmond Howard throughout 1991.
Three games stand out to me from Moeller's tenure: The first two were losses -- sort of a perfect encapsulation of his time at the reins: The first was the 1990 game against MSU, when Desmond was clearly tripped at the goal line on what would have (and should have) been an amazing come-back win. It was clear the ref just kind of froze, assuming Desmond would still catch it and it wouldn't matter, and then ... then it was too late to throw the flag. It was obvious and an absurd no-call, and it hurt.
The second was in 1991 against Florida State, in what was the most amazing track meet I've ever seen Michigan engage in, before they finally just couldn't keep up any more in the second half. It showed the world that Bo was definitively gone, and Moeller's willingness to meet the Seminoles on their own terms was just ... it was just fun, dammit. You wanna sling it around? Game on, mutherfuckers. After two decades of watching Bo recruit stunning athletes and then more or less ignore them, it was fun to let them play.
Finally, let us not ever forget the 1994 game at Notre Dame -- my favorite open-mouthed Michigan come-back last second win ever (over, yes, 2011 Notre Dame, 1989 UCLA, and 2003 Minnesota). Moeller's teams lost some they shouldn't have ... but they also won some they shouldn't have, and they were always fun, dammit.
I liked the man, and the coach, and always felt bad about what we lost in losing both.
That toss to Desmond brings tears to my eyes.
Great writeup, Seth.
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