Sherrone Moore didn't put himself 'in a box' or take the easy way to being Michigan's head coach

Michigan Wolverines football‘s climb in the college football world was quick and impressive, but it wasn’t easy. The former offensive lineman played at Butler Community College (2004-05) and Oklahoma (2006-07), before becoming a graduate assistant at Louisville (2009-11).

He coached tight ends for the Cardinals (2012-13), moving on to Central Michigan (2014-17) and then the University of Michigan (2018-present), where he became offensive line coach in 2021. From 2021-22, he was co-offensive coordinator, before taking over sole possession of the role in 2023, helping guide the Wolverines to their 12th-ever national championship.

That year, not only was Moore the only Power Five assistant coach to also mentor the offensive line, he served as Michigan’s interim head coach on four game days while Jim Harbaugh was suspended.

Not many offensive line coaches are afforded the opportunity to call plays, let alone become the head coach of an elite program in their 30s. At 38 years old, Moore is the second-youngest of 18 Big Ten head coaches, older than only Oregon’s Dan Lanning by just over two months.

He checked every box, including leading the team to four victories during what athletic director Warde Manuel called his “audition.”

“As the head coach, it’s a little different than being the coordinator, being the offensive line coach,” Moore said to coaches on a virtual clinic on CoachTube. “But one thing I take a lot of pride in is that I come from an offensive line background, and then got the chance to become the offensive coordinator at a great university, a great place. Now being the offensive line coach and being the offensive coordinator, that’s something that not a lot of guys get the opportunity to take that chance and be a head coach.

“I know [Kansas City Chiefs head] Coach Andy Reid got on here, who’s one of the best to ever do it, one of the best coaches ever in football, period. I got the chance to talk to him when I accepted the job. One thing he said to me was just be myself, and Coach Harbaugh told me the same thing — and that’s what I plan to do.”

Moore is now in charge of over 100 Michigan players but believes he’s ready. After all, he led one of the position groups with the most players on the roster. On the field, there’s no position that has more than the (typically) five from the offensive line.

“The cool thing about being the offensive line coach is you get to coach the most guys on the field,” Moore said.

Moore attacked each day as an assistant coach in an attempt to learn and expand his horizons. An offensive lineman in college and tight ends / O-line coach as an assistant, he could’ve easily chosen to focus on the run game. However, he learned the ground game and aerial attack over the years.

“I think sometimes you get put in this box,” the Michigan coach continued. “I’m always for offensive line coaches getting the chance to be the coordinator and call plays. As an O-line coach, I say this to young guys that are in the business that are offensive line coaches, don’t just get stuck in the box of ‘I only want to do the run game and protection.’ Venture out, learn the passing game, learn how it all ties together, learn what the quarterbacks are doing, the receivers are doing and put that in your toolbox to help you coach the O-line.

“I got my start as a tight ends coach, and I think that really helped me build my knowledge of the game. And I don’t know it all, by any means, and I continue to learn every day; once you stop learning, there’s a problem, so I think you gotta continue to learn every day. But a lot of things I did learn helped me when I was a tight ends coach.”

Sherrone Moore’s approach as a coach

Like his mentor Harbaugh, Moore often deflects praise and allows his players to get the shine. It’s intentional but not insincere.

“Really the things that are most important to me are the players,” the Michigan coach explained. “You go through so many adverse times and so many things with the players, that I think the biggest piece of this as a coach is you gotta figure out how each player learns, each player clicks, each player is different.

“Just because you’re an O-line coach doesn’t mean you gotta yell, it doesn’t mean you gotta scream and do different things. I think some guys just learn differently, so you have to figure out the most important piece of coaching, [which is] learning how to coach individuals.

“From an off-the-field perspective, for me, I took a huge, huge part in mentoring each player and getting to know them — not just as a player but as a person. I think that’s more important than anything, so you gotta learn and get to know these guys as people. Off the field, obviously, recruiting the offensive linemen was a huge piece of what I did.”

Having his offensive line group play as one cohesive unit was crucial, as is commanding the offense (and now the team) that same way.

“On the field, player development was huge,” Moore said of his time as an offensive line coach. “Coaching five positions, sometimes six with what we do; we like to have five, six, sometimes seven offensive linemen on the field at the same time, so you’re coaching that position at a premium. My job on the field as just the O-line coach was to create a unit of five that looks as one.

“Film breakdown of the offensive line, the tight ends, the running backs, creating that run game and protection plan was a huge part of what I did as just the offensive line coach. Your responsibilities grow, but what I tried to do when I was the O-line coach was not only be a part of the run game and the protection plan but be a part of the passing game and try to figure out ways that we could manipulate defenses, coverages, to continue the knowledge of the passing game stuff, because you can’t keep putting yourself in a box.”