Report: Former Charlotte coach Biff Poggi rejoining Michigan coaching staff

Michigan is adding a prominent name to its coaching staff under Sherrone Moore, set to add former Charlotte head coach Biff Poggi in an official capacity.

247Sports’ Alejandro Zuniga first reported the news of Poggi’s impending hire.

On3’s Clayton Sayfie confirmed the news and added a screenshot of a directory listing featuring Poggi, which you can view below.

Looks like Biff Poggi is back as a University of Michigan staffer

Poggi was the associate head coach under Jim Harbaugh. He was Charlotte’s head coach from 2023-24.

Poggi is about as well-liked as anyone in the business. pic.twitter.com/enfmRQPbwY

— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) February 3, 2025

Biff Poggi spent the last two years as the head coach at Charlotte, though it wasn’t the most successful stint. Poggi went 3-9 in his first season in charge, then went 3-7 in Year 2 before he was fired by the 49ers.

He has previous ties to Michigan, though, having served as Jim Harbaugh‘s associate head coach from 2021-22. He also served as an analyst at Michigan in 2016. So it should be a relatively smooth transition for the new staffer, though it’s not yet clear what capacity he’ll be serving in.

Biff Poggi began his coaching career as an assistant at The Citadel in 1987. From there, he had a long stint at the Gilman School in Maryland, working from 1988-2015 in varying capacities.

He then headed to Michigan as an analyst in 2016 before spending 2017-20 at Saint Frances Academy in Maryland. He returned to Michigan in 2021.

Former Michigan players join suit against NCAA

In non-Biff Poggi news, more than 300 former Michigan football players joined a lawsuit filed against the NCAA and Big Ten in September, the plaintiffs’ attorney Jim Acho told the Detroit Free Press. The suit alleged the NCAA, Big Ten and Big Ten Network used former Wolverines’ name, image and likeness without permission.

Former Michigan standouts Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards initially filed the lawsuit on behalf of former Wolverines who played prior to 2016. Michael Martin and Shawn Crable are also listed as plaintiffs, and nearly 340 former players are part of the class-action suit, Acho said. Former All-Americans Anthony Carter, Mark Messner and Jarrett Irons are among the group of former players to join.

In the 73-page lawsuit, filed by Robinson and former athletes, the class argues the NCAA and Big Ten Network have made significant dollars off their “game-winning plays and electrifying performances.” The NCAA, Big Ten and Big Ten Network filed a motion to dismiss the suit earlier this month.

“An overwhelming number of players — almost all of whom are all financially successful I might add — reached out, wanting to join this lawsuit because they said it was out of principle,” Acho told the Free Press’ Tony Garcia.

“Money was made off their backs, they were denied the right to use their name and image and everybody knew decades ago it was wrong. It was unlawful. It was unethical. And these men want to make a statement.” 

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.