Top Michigan Coaching Candidates After the Firing of Sherrone Moore

Michigan is the winningest program in college football history, so it certainly won’t suffer in attracting interest for its head coach opening.

Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers walks off the field after a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Oct. 25, 2025. Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images

Just when you thought the college football coaching carousel had ended, a bombshell transaction occurred on Wednesday to keep the carousel going. The Michigan Wolverines fired head coach Sherrone Moore, with cause, for what the school’s athletic director, Warde Manuel, says was “an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

While more details are sure to follow, the Wolverines have to move forward. Manuel appointed Biff Poggi as the interim head coach, ahead of the school’s matchup versus the Texas Longhorns in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. But at 65, he’s not the long-term answer, and most of the available head coaches have since landed other college football jobs.

Nonetheless, this is Michigan Football we’re talking about, and it’s the winningest program in college football history. Thus, the job will be highly coveted, and here are some of the top candidates to become the next Michigan Football head coach.

Brian Kelly, Former LSU Tigers Head Coach

In terms of currently unemployed coaches, Kelly may top the list. He was never a cultural fit in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) at Louisiana State University, but he would certainly be more in place in Ann Arbor, as Kelly formerly worked in Michigan at Grand Valley State, and then at Central Michigan, for a total of 20 years. It was at those two locations that Kelly racked up most of his 297 career victories, as, prior to his firing, he was the winningest active coach in college football.

Kalen DeBoer, HC, Alabama Crimson Tide

Last week, DeBoer was said to be “extremely happy at Alabama” when asked about the Penn State opening. However, that was also before the Tide were then embarrassed by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, turning the pressure up on DeBoer in Tuscaloosa, Ala., despite the team still making the College Football Playoff.

DeBoer had his first Football Bowl Subdivision job in Michigan at Eastern Michigan, and he also has Big Ten experience from serving as Indiana’s offensive coordinator in 2019. No matter how much success DeBoer has at Bama, he will always pale in comparison to his predecessor, Nick Saban. So, replacing someone like Moore could be more attractive for DeBoer, as he would still be coaching at one of the Blue Blood programs in going from Alabama to Michigan.

Adam Stenavich, OC, Green Bay Packers

Likely the least-known name on this list, Stenavich also is the only on this list who has never been a head coach. However, he is a “Michigan Man” who was an All-American player there and spent three years on the Wolverines coaching staff (2011-13). He’s served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator since 2022, so he’s directed offenses led by both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Green Bay has a top-10 scoring offense this year, just as it did last year, and having that NFL experience is certainly an appeal for all colleges, given this era of the transfer portal and NIL making college football resemble more like the pros.

P.J. Fleck, HC, Minnesota

Fleck first made his name rowing the boat at Western Michigan, where the Broncos went 13-1 in his final season in 2016. Since moving to Minnesota, he hasn’t quite found the same success, but he’s proven to get his teams up for big games, as evidenced by the Golden Gophers winning all six bowl games in which Fleck has coached. Fleck is a three-time conference coach of the year winner—twice at WMU and once at Minnesota—and he has youth on his side, at 45 years old.

The only blemish on Fleck’s resume—which is likely to be more of an issue with Michigan fans, rather than the Michigan administration—is that Fleck spent time at UM’s biggest rival. After his NFL playing career ended in 2006, Fleck decided to get into coaching and spent that season on Ohio State’s coaching staff as a graduate assistant.

Lance Taylor, HC, Western Michigan

Taylor has had a wide-ranging coaching career, having spent six years on an NFL staff and 13 years as a college coach. He’s also been under the tutelage of big-name coaches, having worked under Nick Saban, Brian Kelly, Ron Rivera, and David Shaw, among others. He’s spent the last three years applying his trade in the Wolverine State at WMU, where he’s made clear progress. Western Michigan went 4-8 in his first year in 2023, then 6-7 in 2024, and he now has the Broncos at 9-4, with a bowl game still to play. The nine victories are already tied for the second-most in program history, as Taylor was named the 2025 MAC Coach of the Year.

Other names being floated as potential replacements for Moore range from ones you’d expect to hear, like Jedd Fisch of Washington, and surprise names, like Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame. Fisch has, seemingly, had his name rumored for just about every Power Conference coaching opening in this cycle, and in his favor, he did spend two years on Jim Harbaugh’s staff in 2015-16.

As for Freeman, while he has the accolades to make the move from South Bend, Indiana, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, it would be extremely hard to see the Wolverines hiring an Ohio State alum. Additionally, Freeman is one of the hottest names as an NFL coaching candidate, so it’s likely he’s either still at Notre Dame or on an NFL sideline come 2026.