On Wednesday, Michigan stunned the world of college football in a month that's already been full of stunning developments. The Wolverines fired head coach Sherrone Moore after an investigation found he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Firing a head coach on Dec. 10 is less-than-ideal, especially in such an active coaching carousel. All the top targets are gone. Michigan won't get their pick of the litter. They'll have to make do with what they've got and hope their best players don't transfer away.
For now, Biff Poggi will once again take the reins as interim head coach. The former Charlotte head coach will lead Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Texas. However, under no circumstances should the Wolverines consider Poggi as a permanent option. He may be 2-0 with Michigan, but he was 6-16 in two seasons in Charlotte.
So who can Michigan look to? We've got some options.
Good: Jesse Minter, Chargers DC
The obvious answer to Michigan's problem is former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. He followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers where his defense ranks 10th in points allowed in 2025. And, of course, he helped the Wolverines win the 2023 national title.
There's no denying Minter's resume as a DC. His track record is strong and he comes from the Ravens' esteemed defensive coaching tree. He's never been a head coach, but he won a game as Michigan's interim in 2023 against East Carolina. He would be given a heroes' welcome back to Ann Arbor if he wanted the job.
There's the rub, though. Minter is on track to become an NFL head coaching candidate in the near future. His goals might be to lead an NFL franchise, not a college program.
Michigan has their own reasons to pause before offering him the job anyways. He was heavily linked to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal and got a one-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA on his way out the door for entirely separate recruiting infractions. According to On3, that show-cause ends on Dec. 25, so he could be hired. However, after the last two Wolverine head coaches were mired in scandal, Warde Manuel may want to stick to cleaner options.
Good: Manny Diaz
The pool of available head coaches currently employed in college football isn't deep. We can presume all the names who passed on Penn State, Florida, etc. in favor of signing extensions will stay put. So who does that leave? Well, Manny Diaz is coming off an ACC title at Duke, as unlikely as that would have seemed just a month ago.
In two seasons with Duke, Diaz has managed a 9-4 and 8-5 record. Mike Elko also went 9-4 and 8-5 before leaving the Blue Devils for Texas A&M, who he now has in the CFP. Diaz's tenure at Miami from 2019 to 2021 wasn't anything to write home about. However, his stint as Penn State's defensive coordinator was a resounding success with top 10 defenses in each of his two years there. That earned him another shot to run a progam.
If nothing else, Diaz could keep Michigan's defense in the elite tier. And if he's truly learned the lessons he needed to since Miami, he could be a savvy hire.
Good: Jedd Fisch
It's not clear how seriously Florida pursued Jedd Fisch for their coaching job. So it's hard to know if Fisch turned down his alma mater to stay at Washington, or if they weren't all that interested. If the former, then Fisch leaving UW for Michigan does feel pretty unlikely. Still, Fisch would be a solid hire given the options out there. He spent two years in Ann Arbor coaching QBs and WRs before getting the OC gig at UCLA. Since then, he rebuilt Arizona into a 10-3 team and currently has Washington on the rise.
Fisch isn't one of the marquee names in CFB coaching, but he's got a good track record of success, particularly in taking programs in disarray and putting them back together.
Bad: Tommy Rees
Tommy Rees' was reportedly a candidate for Penn State's open job before they landed on the significantly better hire of Matt Campbell. And now his name is coming up for the Michigan opening.
I'm going to be completely honest, this feels like an agent earning his paycheck by making sure his client's name is out there. The fishing expedition could land Rees a head coaching job at some point, but Michigan hiring him right now? Nah, that would be a terrible decision. Rees was Notre Dame's offensive coordinator from 2020 through 2022. The Fighting Irish were fine offensively during his stint. That didn't stop Alabama from hiring him in 2023 for the same job. The Crimson Tide averaged 34 points per game in his one year. Again fine. Nothing special. And his tenure with the Browns? They have one of the worst offenses in the NFL again this year.
Rees might become a good head coach one day, but Michigan shouldn't be the ones to find out if that's possible.
Unlikely: Kalen DeBoer/Lincoln Riley
I'm mentioning Kalen DeBoer and Lincoln Riley here simply because their names have inevitably come up in the hours since Moore was fired. Are they realistic options? I suppose anything is possible (CFB continues to show us that) but I wouldn't say they're probable.
DeBoer is in the College Football Playoff with Alabama. While Crimson Tide fans aren't satisfied with the results he's produced so far, the school doesn't have a great reason to cut bait. Nor does he have that much incentive to leave one of the most powerful programs in the sport.
Riley has been vocal recently about being happy where he is at USC. His name comes up because he has undoubtedly failed to live up to expectations in Los Angeles. However, he just pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country with a serious uptick in financial backing at USC. Now is not the time to leave the Trojans.
Unlikely: Brian Kelly
Let's add Brian Kelly to the pool of "Sure, it could happen, but it doesn't feel likely" candidates. He's available. He's familiar with the recruiting landscape of the Midwest. And he's had undeniable success. He was also run out of LSU where players seemed to hate him and Notre Dame weren't exactly distraught to see the back of him.
Kelly has a less than stellar reputation as a human being. Michigan could ignore that simply because he wins football games. But again, after two head coaches deep in the mud, do the Wolverines want to bring on another potential powder keg?