Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday with cause, the program confirmed. The Wolverines' head coach was allegedly involved in an inappropriate relationship with a member of his staff. Moore has since been detained by authorities as they investigate potential charges.
Pivoting back to football, it was a disappointing campaign for the Wolverines by their standards. A 9-3 finish, including losses to Oklahoma and a blowout 27-9 defeat to Ohio State in The Game, ensured they'd miss the College Football Playoff. Biff Poggi has been named interim in Moore's place for the upcoming Citrus Bowl showdown versus Texas.
Michigan will then conduct a proper search for Moore's full-time replacement. It's imperative that the Wolverines nail this hiring process, and we've identified three potential candidates.
Kalen DeBoer
Kalen DeBoer possesses clear ties to the state of Michigan and the Big Ten. He previously thrived as Eastern Michigan's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2013-16). DeBoer later held the same titles in 2019 at Indiana before landing his first D-I head coaching job at Fresno State in 2020.
Alabama fans haven't totally warmed up to DeBoer. Filling Nick Saban's shoes is no easy task. Most recently, the Crimson Tide were embarrassed 28-7 by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and nearly missed the postseason, barely getting in as the No. 9 seed. If DeBoer is ready to admit Alabama isn't a natural fit, finding an escape route to Michigan could be within reason.
Brian Kelly
Due to the unnatural circumstances regarding Moore's dismissal, Michigan is starting the head coaching search later than many of its competitors did. They didn't get to enter the Matt Campbell or Lane Kiffin sweepstakes. If athletic director Warde Manuel still wants to make a splash hire, he could consider former LSU head coach Brian Kelly.
Kelly failed in Baton Rouge, leading to his $54 million buyout being triggered by the Tigers. Kelly is a proven winner, and furthermore, he previously won within the state at Central Michigan. If the program can get over hiring a former Notre Dame coach, he's undeniably the biggest name available.
Jedd Fisch
Jedd Fisch is one of college football's most underrated coaches. Fisch inherited an Arizona program in 2021 that went winless (0-5) the campaign prior, and by 2023, he turned them into a 10-3 squad that finished 11th in the AP Poll, concluding with a Bowl win over Oklahoma. Since then, the former New England Patriots quarterbacks coach has done another respectable job at Washington.
Fisch is well-known at Michigan, previously working in Ann Arbor as a multi-role assistant for two seasons (2015-16). That familiarity could help his name garner interest throughout the upcoming search, given he's since thrived as a head coach at multiple programs. Fisch also knows the Big Ten well, previously coaching at Minnesota. He should be considered a strong candidate.