The game of musical chairs for college football coaches appeared to be over. But all of a sudden, the music has started again, and one very big chair is sitting wide open.
Michigan’s surprise firing of coach Sherrone Moore didn’t come at an ideal time. Top coaches like Lane Kiffin, Matt Campbell, James Franklin, Brian Hartline and Jon Sumrall already have accepted new jobs.
The pool of legitimate candidates has dwindled significantly, but it’s not empty. Michigan is one of college football’s marquee jobs, and there are plenty of coaches who are likely to want the job. But a program like Michigan almost certainly will narrow the field down to only those that are most qualified.
Here’s a look at the top candidates:
KALEN DeBOER
At Alabama, DeBoer has faced ridiculous expectations, and there are signs that they are wearing on him. It’s difficult to imagine any coach leaving Alabama by his own choice. But DeBoer just might be the exception, and there’s some geographic logic to the speculation that has him as one of Michigan’s top candidates.
DeBoer was an assistant at Eastern Michigan from 2014 through 2016. He also has Big Ten experience after spending 2019 at Indiana. It’s likely going to take a lot of enticement (in other words, money) to pry DeBoer out of Tuscaloosa. But one plus to landing in Ann Arbor might be the opportunity to get out of Nick Saban’s enormous shadow at Alabama.
MARCUS FREEMAN
His name was thrown around a lot in relation to multiple other openings. But those jobs have been filled, and Freeman remains at Notre Dame, where he says he’s happy. Still, the Michigan job could be tempting enough to get Freeman out of South Bend.
Keep in mind, Freeman knows a little about Michigan’s aura. He played for Ohio State, Michigan’s bitter rival. Freeman is in a good situation at Notre Dame. But Michigan, and its enormous resources, could be an even better situation.
JEDD FISCH
He’s finishing his second season at Washington and appears to have the Huskies trending upward. But Fisch is one of the most prolific journeymen in college football, and he has ties to Michigan.
Since 1999, Fisch has held eight jobs at the college level and coached for eight different NFL teams. Included in all those stops was a two-year stint at Michigan on Harbaugh’s staff, when he coached quarterbacks and wide receivers and served as running game coordinator.
Before Washington, his only other head coaching experience was a three-season stint at Arizona. Fisch has shown he can build at Arizona and Washington. With Michigan’s deep resources, he might have an easier time getting a program to the top.
JESSE MINTER
He’s currently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, but Minter has deep ties to Michigan’s program. Depending on how you look at that, those ties could be a positive or they could keep Minter completely out of the search.
Minter was a member of Jim Harbaugh’s highly successful staff at Michigan. But he received a one-year show-cause penalty for recruiting violations while he was there. Michigan officials might not want to open that can of worms. Besides, Minter’s name has been mentioned in speculation about head coaching jobs in the NFL.
P.J. FLECK
In nine seasons as Minnesota’s head coach, Fleck has done a solid job. The Gophers have gone 65–44 and have missed out on a bowl game only twice.
After the way Moore went out, one of Michigan’s priorities might be to look for stability and a calming influence. Fleck is a known commodity in the Midwest. An Illinois native, Fleck also has coached as an assistant at Northern Illinois and Western Michigan and knows the recruiting territory. At a school like Michigan, he might have a better shot at elite recruits than he does at Minnesota.
MANNY DIAZ
This is another guy whose name came up a lot in connection to earlier openings, but Diaz is still at Duke, where he led a basketball school to an ACC title this year.
Diaz has a 38–24 record in stops at Duke and Miami, and he might be the most proven candidate in the field for Michigan. Most of Diaz’s coaching experience has come in the South, but he did a two-year stint in the Big Ten as Penn State’s defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023.
BIFF POGGI
Okay, Poggi may be starting off with two strikes against him. He’s 66 and isn’t a big name on the national scene. But don’t totally rule out the guy who has stepped in as Michigan’s head coach after Moore’s firing.
His only other stint as a head coach was an underwhelming stop at Charlotte in 2023 and 2024. But the colorful and gregarious Poggi is a familiar face to current Michigan players who may be thinking about transferring — most notably quarterback Bryce Underwood, running back Jordan Marshall and receiver Andrew Marsh.
With Poggi, the Wolverines might also have a shot at keeping the 27 recruiting commitments that Moore landed, most notably defensive end Carter Meadows, one of the top 25 high school recruits in the nation.
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