Michigan football inks Sherrone Moore, Jesse Minter, Ben Herbert to new contracts

Michigan football’s coordinating duo of Sherrone Moore (offense/offensive line coach) and Jesse Minter (defense) were given amended contracts this offseason, according to MLive via a public documents request with U-M.

Moore signed a new three-year extension on Feb. 16 that locks him in through the 2025 season. He was originally set for a base salary of $1 million per year before a March 20 amendment gave him another raise that brings his guaranteed salary to $3.6 million over the next three years.

Michigan will pay Moore $1.15 million this year, $1.2 million in 2024 and $1.25 million in 2025. Moore’s base salary came in at $900,000 in 2022. With his new deal, Moore can earn $100,000 bonuses each year if Michigan finishes top-2 in scoring in the Big Ten and top-10 nationally. He could also get a $50,000 bonus for each win over eight each season.

Moore’s deal includes a $1 million buyout if he departs Michigan before the end of the 2024 season. That number falls to $500,000 in 2025, but he would not owe the school anything if he leaves for a Division I head coaching job.

Moore is now Michigan’s sole play-caller and offensive coordinator but says it will still remain a collaborative approach on offense.

“As far as the play-calling duties last year, I’m not going to talk about the specifics, so good try,” Moore said with a laugh last week. “I was a part of the play calling last year. But this year, I have a great staff — first of all — that I work with. [Quarterbacks] Coach [Kirk] Campbell, [tight ends] Coach [Grant] Newsome, [running backs and run game coordinator] Coach [Mike] Hart, [wide receivers] Coach [Ron] Bellamy, all the GAs, all the analysts.

“I have an incredible group of guys that are all working in the same line, in the same vision to help us win championships, beat Ohio State, beat Michigan State, beat Penn State, win the Big Ten and the end goal. We’re all working on the same vision to do that.

“Is it a little bit more work? A little bit, but this is something I’ve prepared for my whole life. Motivated to do, and I’m just gonna continue to work and only keep my head down and do what I know best.”

Jesse Minter inks new deal with Michigan, too

Minter signed a new contract with Michigan on March 2, MLive also reports. His deal is identical to Moore’s – $1.15 million this year, $1.2 million in 2024 and $1.25 million in 2025. Minter can also earn $100,000 bonuses for top-2 in points allowed in the Big Ten and top-10 in FBS scoring defense. He can also get $50,000 per win past eight. He made $900,000 in base salary last year but had $1.325 million earned after bonuses.

Minter’s buyout is heftier than this coordinator counterpart. He would have to pay $2 million if he leaves before the end of 2024, $1.2 million if he left for a job in the Big Ten in his third year, or $1 million with any other FBS school. The buyout falls to $800,000 in Year 1 and Year 2 if he leaves for an NFL job. It falls to $600,000 in year three.

Minter interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles for their defensive coordinator job this spring before they decided to go elsewhere. With that in the rearview mirror, Minter is ready for a second season helming Michigan’s defense.

“Coach Harbaugh, the players, they all know how I feel about this place,” he said last week. “I’m super excited to be back. 

“It’s just a whole other level of familiarity with the guys, how we operate here, how coach runs spring. Just tremendous cohesiveness. Kind of everybody understands each other’s expectations; they understand my expectations, and I understand coach Harbaugh’s and the players’ expectations. Just a really good level of that. 

“Particularly, I think we have more experience coming back than at this time last year, where we were replacing some big spots. We have some key losses, certainly, but feel good about where the guys are at. Just knowledge, understanding, attacking the first day, sort of picking up where we left off.”

Ben Herbert locked up, too

Shortly after posting the original story, MLive’s Aaron McMann also reported a new five-year contract for strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. Herbet will be paid a $600,000 base salary this year in addition to a $400,000 signing bonus. His base salary will increase to $900,000 in 2024 with a $100,000 retention bonus paid out each year on Aug. 1 for the duration of the deal.

Like the Michigan coordinators, he is also eligible for a $50,000 bonus for each regular season victory over eight wins, capped at $200,000.