It was an up-and-down year for Sherrone Moore in his first year as Michigan’s head football coach. Moore took the job late in the process last year after Jim Harbaugh decided to take the Los Angeles Chargers position. With Harbaugh leaving for the NFL, there were other departures Moore had to take care of. Ben Herbert, Jesse Minter, Steve Clinkscale, and Mike Elston, among others, left Michigan in wake of Harbaugh leaving.
Moore did his best to make the most of it. He went out and landed Wink Martindale, Brian Jean-Mary, LaMar Morgan, and Lou Esposito, among others to fill the void(s) that was left. But Michigan still had to show it could compete on the field. The Wolverines, who went 8-5 in Moore’s first year, lost some games they probably shouldn’t have. Losing to Washington and Illinois on the road are likely two games Moore wishes he could get back, along with losing to Indiana when Michigan could’ve won that game.
But Moore was able to right some wrongs after finishing the season strong. His team crushed Northwestern, stunned Ohio State, and beat Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl to finish the year. Moore is also bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in 2025 with five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood leading the way.
So just how good was Moore’s first year at Michigan? When he was first hired, ESPN gave the hiring at B+ grade. However, his grade has been knocked down following his first season. After grading first-year head coaches, ESPN gave Moore a B- grade in Year 1.
