Michigan coach hot board: ESPN updates list of candidates to replace Jim Harbaugh

Michigan is in the market for a new head football coach after Jim Harbaugh officially accepted an offer to be the Los Angeles Chargers head coach following his national title victory with the Wolverines.

There is one internal candidate who appears to be the early leader to get the job, but as the coaching carousel teaches us each year: no deal is done until the ink is dry. So ESPN college football insider Adam Rittenberg took a look at the list of serious candidates who could replace Harbaugh, from both inside and outside the program.

Take a look at who Rittenberg believes could seriously contend for the gig, beginning with the guy who served as interim head coach at times in 2023.

Sherrone Moore | Michigan OC

Well, the cat may already be out of the bag, since On3 reported yesterday that Moore is expected to be named the next Michigan football coach in 7-10 days, according to Chris Balas of The Wolverine. However, a week is still a long time and surely Michigan will still do its homework on other candidates, just in case somebody really catches their eye.

As a coach with the Wolverines, Moore had a huge hand in building the Wolverines into a title contenders on the offensive side of the ball under Jim Harbaugh. He started out coaching tight ends and then took over the offensive line in 2021 and helped guide it two back-to-back Joe Moore Awards for the nation’s best O-line. Then, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and had the gig to himself this past fall, when he also was elevated to interim head coach for a few stretches of games. If the hire is internal, expect it to be Moore.

Brian Kelly | LSU

If Brian Kelly dropped the southern drawl to head back north, Michigan would be a sensible move. The fairly-new LSU coach spent quite a while in the middle of Big Ten Country coaching a conference-less contender in South Bend. An opportunity to head back North but join up to Michigan provides much more stability in the Big Ten. Plus, like with the Tigers, he knows for a fact that winning a national title is possible.

Rittenberg believes there could be some serious smoke around such a move if the Wolverines actually consider him. “For weeks, rumors have circulated about Kelly having genuine interest in Michigan,” he writes. Although, Rittenberg also poses an important question: “is the 62-year-old truly best equipped to maintain the momentum at Michigan?”

Chris Klieman | Kansas State

With four seasons of 8+ wins in his five total as Kansas State head coach, including 10 and nine wins and a 2022 Big 12 title in the last two, Klieman’s name has surfaced on the periphery of many of the top job openings this cycle. Before his time in the midwest’s Manhattan, Klieman also led the North Dakota State dynasty at the FCS level, winning four national championships in five years with the Bison.

Rittenberg notes that Michigan fits well alongside Klieman’s midwestern roots and desire to dominate on the ground: “The Iowa native has spent his entire career in the Midwest, although never in the Big Ten. Klieman embraces a physical style built around elite line of scrimmage play that would resonate at Michigan.”

Lance Leipold | Kansas

The successful Kansas coach has seen his name thrown into virtually every decent job opening this cycle, but yet, he remains in Lawrence. “Kansas is rightfully doing everything it can to keep Leipold in place for the remainder of his career,” says Rittenberg.

However, if Michigan sent a job offer, it’d be hard to imagine the 59-year-old coach saying no, as Rittenberg says that if Leipold “has one big move in him, it could be to a place like Michigan.” UM would have to fork over a pretty hefty buyout, but that’s rarely stopped a major college football program from hiring their guy in the past.

Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri

The youngest current head coach included on the list, Rittenberg believes the 40-year-old Drinkwitz would “bring an innovative approach to both schemes and recruiting to Ann Arbor” if called up by Michigan. Of course, he comes off of his best season at Missouri, where the Tigers won 11 games including a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State.

With more years like 2023, especially with similarly high-powered Tiger offenses, Drinkwitz could find himself a hot name for several big jobs in coming years. Rittenberg believes: “the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year likely will be on wish lists for notable jobs in the coming years, and Michigan could get a jump on hiring him.”

Matt Campbell | Iowa State

The longtime Iowa State coach hasn’t had his best years in 2022 and 2023, but the five-year stretch from 2017 to 2021 ranks among the best in Cyclone football history. ISU was ranked at some point in five straight seasons and made five straight bowls, even finishing No. 9 in the country in the final 2020 AP Poll.

Even with an 11-14 record the last couple seasons, Rittenberg believes the success he’s had at a place like Iowa State is admirable. “Campbell recently generated some interest from Washington and has an overall resume that merits examination,” he writes.

Todd Monken/Mike MacDonald | Ravens OC/DC

The two Baltimore Ravens coordinators have gotten some attention as NFL head coaches, but if the pro openings dry up, would they consider a move to the college level if it provided a head coaching opportunity? Obviously, the connection to Jim Harbaugh’s brother and Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh, makes the suggestion intriguiing.

We also know that Monken has college experience since he was the offensive coordinator and QBs coach at Georgia for three seasons that featured two national titles with a former walk-on under center inn Stetson Bennett. Meanwhile, MacDonald has ties directly with Michigan after serving as the Wolverine defensive coordinator back in 2021.