What Happens When Sherrone Wins Out?
Been thinking a lot about this tonight, and while I hope the “return to the status quo” applies, I realistically see one of two scenarios playing out:
1) Jim realizes that the program he helped rebuild is in the best possible hands for his successor and uses this moment to make his departure to the NFL
2) Sherrone becomes the single hottest HC coach candidate in the country, which means the who’s who comes calling. I’m not saying any of the current openings are that appealing (for one reason or another), but there would be a lot of temptation
Again, maybe I’m wrong and he’s just a Guardian of Victory for the next few weeks, but hard to imagine something else playing out.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:21 PM ^
I'm going to cheer like hell for Sherrone Moore, Head Coach at Texas A&M, next year.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:22 PM ^
I wouldn't wish that on Sherrone.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:49 PM ^
Sherrone would if they gave him the Jimbo deal! Why TF would he worry if he gets canned from a $100M deal? Set for generations
November 17th, 2023 at 1:02 AM ^
I don't think TAMU's next coach is getting the Jimbo deal. They will hire someone with a lower profile or a first time head coach for relatively cheap, and wait until they have a couple good seasons before offering an extension with Jimbo-like terms.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:48 AM ^
I'm going to cheer like hell for 2023 B1G Coach of the Year Sherrone Moore, Head Coach at Texas A&M, next year.
FIFY
November 16th, 2023 at 11:24 PM ^
When Michigan wins the next two games, the same media outlets clowning Sherrone Moore, will have him on every head coaching candidate list. They'll do anything to hurt Michigan.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^
3rd Base will run out of excuses and O$U will be looking for a new coach.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:54 AM ^
I really want Sherrone to walk up to him for the handshake and say "well that didn't work either, what's next?"
November 16th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
What happens when Sherrone wins out?
Michigan wins the Big Ten championship. Michigan makes the CFP. And Michigan wins the National Championship
November 16th, 2023 at 11:38 PM ^
Harbaugh will leave if given the opportunity, but it won’t have anything to do with Moore. And Moore winning two more games while Harbaugh sits out, with Harbaugh’s team that Harbaugh built and will still be coaching during the week, wouldn’t be the smartest criteria for choosing Michigan’s next head coach.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:16 AM ^
Sherrone Moore doing the HC job well at Michigan and beating OSU is quite literally the best case scenario for evaluating goodness of fit.
Every new coach inherits the previous coaches players, recruits, and scheme.
That has very little bearing on Moore's ability or lack thereof in being HC.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:25 AM ^
Does every new coach inherit the former head coach actually coaching the team during the week?
November 17th, 2023 at 7:48 AM ^
Moore would be the right guy to take over for Harbaugh.
That said, if the program slips, even in the slightest, he will get the Born on 3rd treatment Day is now getting.
Harbaugh is unique and irreplaceable in the sense that his quirky, yet workman like, tough as nails approach is difficult to sustain and replicate if not 100% authentic. Every coach wants its team to be tuff!, but it’s very difficult to create that culture - which is how we end up with doughy, unhinged, beard dying ferrets yelling at octogenarians post game.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:52 AM ^
Ryan Day comes to mind...
November 16th, 2023 at 11:42 PM ^
destiny
November 16th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
Someone has to offer Harbaugh a job for him to go to the NFL. It’s possible the third times a charm but it’s not a given.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:05 AM ^
Agreed. Jims NFL window is closing by the year because of his age and probably the bullshit thats been happening lately. At this point he may not even want to go to the NFL and Michigan could be his last coaching job ever.
I think he sticks around and not let the b10 win this war.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:03 AM ^
5 more victories.
Jim either stays for the rest of his career (which is great), or he goes to the NFL and Sherrone is our new HC (which is also great).
Win-Win.
Also for personal Pat on the back, I said back when hamburgergate happened that our head coach to start the 2024 season would be Sherrone Moore.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:07 AM ^
We go on the win the conference, that’s what. And then some bonus exhibition games in the Dr. Pepper Championship
November 17th, 2023 at 12:25 AM ^
If Moore wins out Day is almost certainly gone. That's about the only thing we know for sure.
He didn't exactly impress me in the BGSU game and the PSU game had a bunch of confusion at times. I understood the run:pass ratio totally but overall I didn't exactly feel like he was comfortable. His post game interview suggests that he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, too.
Though, that's understandable. He is also our OC and OL coach. To ask him to step in as HC is a tough ask because it slides responsibility down the line to people that may or may not be fully ready to do what's now being asked of them. It's like a pulled muscle where surrounding muscles start to take on extra work to compensate. This absolutely is a nasty punishment not just because the timing and games Jim will miss. It's a tough ask of Moore.
So if he wins out he will cement himself in UM lore, likely get Day fired and his profile will be a bit higher. That's all I think I know about that question.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:42 AM ^
Day has a top five team in the country this year. Just like last year. They aren’t firing him.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:55 AM ^
What if we beat them in the NC game too?
November 17th, 2023 at 9:07 AM ^
When we win the game this year, OSU is going to have an absolute meltdown.
They are riding an emotional high right now. They think Stalions is why they got beat last 2 years. They think Harbaugh being out for a couple hours when he still coaches the team all week, is a much bigger deal than it actually is.
The reality is that this game is played by the players, and Michigan is about to have more players drafted than any team ever, and compares favorably to 2021 Georgia in SP+ right now.
OSU fans do not comprehend this. Should they fire Day when they lose? Objectively, no. But they are not that smart.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:42 AM ^
I agree with this take and have thought the same. If we somehow beat OSU (which I don’t think is a given anymore with Harbaugh out. Coach clearly does a lot game days, and there’s a reason he’s one of the best coaches of all time), then the OSU fan base will be so angry, it will make the B10 coaches who called for Harbaugh to be suspended seem like nothing. The AD will find a way to part with Day. Can’t beat Michigan/Harbaugh because of the cold weather and the flu, had to change your signs, and then couldn’t beat the interim coach who’s having to call plays and coach oline…he’s gone after that.
On the Michigan side, after the season, it’s either Harbaugh signs a big-time contract, and Moore takes a high-profile head coaching job, or Harbaugh leaves for the NFL, and Moore is our new head coach. Simple as that. No real search.
Unfortunately, I think there is a much better chance that OSU wins next weekend since we won’t have Harbaugh. Harbaugh makes a huge difference and has handled the pressure of being the top guy of a program for 15 years at this point. Hard for me to not see a moment of blunder/meltdown in a huge moment of the highest-pressured game in college football. Or I’m wrong (hope I am), and Moore becomes a fucking legend.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
Harbaugh is an elite coach because of program culture, player development, the staff he has built, game planning, and all those things that take place during the offseason and week to week.
This isn't Madden, it's real football, and Michigan has a dominant team.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:07 AM ^
If gthe playoffs didn't expand to 12 teams and stayed at 4, I'd say Day would be gone with a loss next saturday. Because osu is built for playoff football I think Day gets another shot because they're an automatic playoff team next year.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:26 AM ^
If UM wins out, Moore should leave unless there is a new contract for Harbaugh. Otherwise, he knows first hand how things are handled in UM admin. We will know soon why UM admin did what it did.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:52 AM ^
I see him being our next coach. My guess is Harbaugh will be gone to the NFL next season and may be the reason UM agreed to their unfair punishment of Harbaugh. I think Harbaugh is giving Moore a great opportunity to shine! Did not Fritz do that for Bennie in the '48 season. Let him take over his National Champion team, so he could easily win a national championship. The best time to find your replacement is when your riding high.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:03 AM ^
You think Harbaugh would want to leave on these terms? No. If he were planning to leave, he’d fight this tooth and nail and try to get a penalty pushed to next year. Think it through.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:16 AM ^
Hate to say it, but something happened and I think he already knows he's gone.
November 17th, 2023 at 4:33 AM ^
I would have already quit if I were Harbaugh. Good thing I'm not Harbaugh, but seriously, why would anyone put up with this bullshit?
November 17th, 2023 at 7:04 AM ^
Really? You'd quit on this team over this? I hope that is not true.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
Those players and coaches love him. No way in hell he would or should quit on them right now.
After the season is over, maybe.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:13 AM ^
I mean Harbaugh is gone next year. Has to be. So we are looking at our new HC in Sherrone. This was always the plan.
November 17th, 2023 at 8:11 AM ^
Depends on whether Harbaugh was on board with the decision. Also, whether there is an NFL team that wants him. He has looked at leaving before, but hasn't found an opportunity. I suppose if he is mad enough at Michigan he could leave for another college job.
Also, Moore and Harbaugh are tight. If Harbaugh is pissed, it is possible that Moore wants nothing to do with Michigan.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
He'd be going backwards taking another college job. Corrupt NCAA bastards would follow him wherever he goes and make his coaching career miserable.
November 17th, 2023 at 3:10 AM ^
We celebrate with a drinking thread.
November 17th, 2023 at 5:54 AM ^
What'll you be drinking?
November 17th, 2023 at 6:21 AM ^
I am really looking forward to the next two fuckin postgame interviews with Sherrone.
November 17th, 2023 at 6:58 AM ^
He won’t.
He’ll win the next two games, then JH will be back for the BTCG and he’ll win out from there.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:02 AM ^
I am rooting for Sherrone Moore to start his head coaching career with four consecutive wins.* This is entirely likely, and would definitely be a solid career move for Sherrone.
I'm guessing that the "settlement" involved Michigan dropping the court case in exchange for the B1G promising that JH would NOT be subject to any further suspensions (B1G championship game and beyond). That may have been a real concern if the case went forward and more evidence turned up, and might have been enough to get everyone to stand down.
It's very hard to know how the long-term coaching dust will settle until the drama of the next six weeks plays out. But winning has a way of healing many wounds. I'm ready to do some healing.
*Minus any victories credited to Jim Harbaugh.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:49 AM ^
If that happens, I would just be happy about that and not stress about what is next.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:55 AM ^
In my opinion, Harbaugh is 100% gone after this year if an NFL club offers. He has clearly been trending that way over the past few years, and between the NCAA/B1G target on his back and lack of institutional support (if the Board of Regents did indeed close this deal with the B1G), he has no reason to stay.
I'm at peace with that. He'd be one of the greatest coaches we've had and would be leaving the program in a far better spot than it occupied when he took over. Sherrone would clearly be next in line with a win over OSU.
The more interesting scenario, of course, occurs if the NFL doesn't knock. Will Sherrone stick around?
November 17th, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
I don't think he's gone for any NFL team that offers.
I think he won't consider it unless he gets an offer from a team that is positioned to win now, or at least a lot of draft capital + the offer includes roster control. NFL owners and front offices are notoriously unwilling to do this. Basically the stars would have to align.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:59 AM ^
With respect to Sherrone, all signs are that he is a great coach. But, winning games as acting head coach on Saturday doesn't go very far in proving he can build and run a team 24/7. That being said, he seems like the logical successor.
However, if Harbaugh is pissed and moves on, it is quite possible Moore sees that the university won't back it head coach and he moves on as well. Moore is obviously close with Harbaugh.
November 17th, 2023 at 8:07 AM ^
I’m starting to think the big winner in yesterday’s surrender is Warde Manuel. I think Warde wants Harbaugh gone, has wanted him gone for a while, and now gets a test run with Sherrone Moore. If Moore wins out, Warde can “justify” letting Harbaugh walk to the NFL. Harbaugh also loses leverage in the contracting of Moore wins out. Sabotaging the legal case yesterday just makes it more likely Harbaugh leaves. If I had to bet, Harbaugh is back on the sidelines in 2024.
November 17th, 2023 at 8:35 AM ^
If Sherrone wins out and Harbaugh decides to go to the NFL, I think our head coaching search will be quite short.
November 17th, 2023 at 8:40 AM ^
I think that I would be perfectly fine with this scenario:
1. Michigan wins the whole damn thing.
2. Jim departs the University of Michigan, on good terms, and lands his (second) NFL dream job.
3. Sherrone Moore is hired as the new head coach of Michigan football.
I think that I could live with this, and then some.
November 17th, 2023 at 10:38 AM ^
I agree. Jim is going to sign this contract extension we keep hearing about or Sherrone Moore will take over b/c Harbaugh wants to go to the NFL. That's a great place for us to be. Assuming Jim stays, Sherrone will be on everyone's list unfortunately. I'd love to build in an succession plan that names Sherrone the coach-in-waiting or something mostly b/c of what he's done for our offense and OL. Crazy good. But that's super rare and not gonna happen.
November 17th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
The Chicago Bears job has to be near the top of the list for Harbaugh. He's a legend there in his own way. Very young team with so many high resources. He could draft whatever QB he wants (JJ). It would be a perfect team to take over for sure.
Or he retires at Michigan, which I think is likely