Michigan

How Michigan football, hockey, and basketball compare over the last 50 years

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

How Michigan football, hockey, and basketball compare over the last 50 years

The Michigan football season ended on a high note in 2024 with the signing of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood and the takedown of No. 2 Ohio State on the road in Columbus. However, the 7-5 finish to the regular season was a disappointment given high expectations after a National Championship in January.

While the football season was a bit of a letdown, men’s basketball and hockey are off to great starts. The basketball team, led by first-year head coach Dusty May, just beat No. 11 Wisconsin on the road in Madison and took down a ranked Xavier in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament to win it all. Hockey split the weekend taking on a ranked Western Michigan, but they were 10-3-1, sporting sweeps of No. 5 BU, No. 20 Notre Dame, and Penn State heading into last night’s game against No. 4 Minnesota.

It’s often joked in my family, and I’m sure in yours, that we sacrificed one program for the success of another. It’s a pretty common joke online, too. Over the last 50 years or so, each of the big three men’s programs has seen success and failure. So, is there any truth to the saying, “They can’t all be good.”

A few disclaimers:

First, the best and worst finishes for each program are subjective. For example, I listed the 1981-82 season as the worst for that decade. The team in 1982-83 had a worse conference finish (9th instead of 7th) but had a better overall record. Neither team had a postseason appearance, so I went with the better conference finish.

Next, this only covers the last 50 seasons or so. I have some time on my hands but not enough to go over the entire history of each program. If you want to do that, I’d love to hear what you find out!

1973 – 1982 | Michigan football and basketball find consistent success, Michigan hockey only has two postseason appearances

Michigan Football

Best Finish (1980); Rose Bowl win over Washington, the first postseason win after several losses for Schembechler; (10-2, 1st in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (1979); Loss in Gator Bowl; (8-4, 3rd in Big Ten)

Despite the struggles in bowl games, Bo Schembechler and the Michigan football team consistently finished at the top of the conference. They either won or shared the title with another team for most of this period.

Michigan Basketball

Best finish (1975-76); Lost Championship game to Indiana; (25-7, 2nd in Big Ten)

Worst finish (1981-82); No postseason appearance (8-19, 7th in Big Ten)

For basketball, Johnny Orr and Bill Frieder helped lead their teams to some impressive tournament appearances, including a National Championship appearance in 1975-96. The Wolverines lost to Indiana 86-68.

Michigan Hockey

Best finish (1976-77); Lost Championship game to Wisconsin (OT); (28-17-0, 3rd in WCHA)

Worst finish (1978-79); No postseason appearance; (8-27-1, 10th in WCHA)

Hockey struggled for most of this stretch. The main exception is the 1976-77, when the Wolverines lost in the Championship game to Wisconsin in overtime. Their only other postseason appearance came after the 1973-74 season where they got knocked out in the first round.

1983 – 1992 | Michigan football and basketball dominate, Michigan Hockey postseason appearances still limited

Michigan Football

Best finish (1989); Rose Bowl win over USC; (10-2, 1st in Big Ten)

Worst finish (1984); Loss in the Holiday Bowl (6-6, Tied for 6th in Big Ten)

Michigan football continued its conference dominance during this ten-year stretch, despite a 6-6 finish in 1984. Even when Bo Schembechler handed the reins to Gary Moeller, Michigan still finished at the top of the conference for his first three seasons.

Michigan Basketball

Best Finish (1988-89); NCAA Champion; (30-7, 3rd in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (1990-91); Lost NIT 1st Round; (14-15, 8th in Big Ten)

Basketball had an insane stretch of postseason appearances in this decade. Winning the NIT tournament in 1983-84 and the NCAA tournament in 1988-89. The Wolverines didn’t miss a postseason during these ten years but did have to vacate the 1991-92 Final Four appearance and the 1992-93 season, because, you know, Fab Five.

Michigan Hockey

Best finish (1991-92); NCAA Frozen Four; (32-9-3, 1st in CCHA)

Worst finish (1985-86); No postseason appearance; (12-26-0, 8th in CCHA)

For most of this decade, the Wolverines struggled to make the postseason but hired Red Berenson ahead of the 1984-85 season. It’s crazy to think back on Red’s early years with the Wolverines, not finishing with a winning record until his fourth season as head man, but by the end of the 1992-93 season, they had finished at the top of the CCHA and made back-to-back Frozen Four appearances.

1993 – 2002 | Michigan hockey becomes a program, Michigan basketball, and football start to take steps back

Michigan Football

Best Finish (1997); National Championship (12-0, 1st in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (1996); Outback Bowl loss to Alabama (8-4, Tied for 5th in Big Ten)

Listen, Michigan football was still winning games with Lloyd Carr and they won a freaking National Championship in 1997 for crying out loud! However, the early 90s came with some 8-4 seasons and less-than-stellar finishes in the Big Ten.

Michigan Basketball

Best Finish (1993-94); NCAA Elite Eight (24-8, 2nd in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2000-2001); No tournament appearance (10-18, tied for 9th in Big Ten)

Even though you could argue Michigan’s best basketball season is “technically” the year they won the NIT or finished first in the Big Ten those seasons don’t really count anymore. By 2000, the Wolverines missed out on three straight postseasons.

Michigan Hockey

Best Finish (1995-96); NCAA Champion (34-7-2, 1st in CCHA)

Worst Finish (1999-2000); NCAA Quarterfinals (25-11-6, Tied for 3rd in CCHA)

Enter the best ten-year stretch of hockey for the Michigan Wolverines in the last fifty years. Red Berenson and Michigan made the postseason each season, including two National Championships, multiple Frozen Four appearances, and finishing regularly at the top of the CCHA.

2003 – 2012 | Michigan hockey continues postseason appearances, Michigan football has the worst stretch imaginable, Michigan basketball is smack in the middle

Michigan Football

Best Finish (2003); Rose Bowl loss to USC, (10-3, 1st in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2008); No bowl trip (3-9, Tied for 9th in Big Ten)

Ugh, the decade of football I think we’d all like to forget about for the most part. The Wolverines had some of their worst overall records ever and lost to App State in 2007. When you thought it couldn’t get worse, Rich Rod and Brady Hoke happened. Despite a win over Ohio State in 2011, there’s not much to look back on in this stretch of football history.

Michigan Basketball

Best Finish (2012-13); NCAA runner-up (31-8, Tied for 4th in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2004-05); No tournament appearance (13-18, 9th in Big Ten)

Michigan peaked in the John Beilein era with an appearance in the National Championship in 2012-13. While they didn’t win the game against Louisville, Michigan had consistent postseason appearances under head coach John Beilein.

Michigan Hockey

Best Finish (2010-11); NCAA Finalist (29-11-4, 1st in CCHA)

Worst Finish (2012-2013); No tournament appearance (18-19-3, 7th in CCHA)

When it comes to Hockey, it’s a tale of highs and lows. The early 2000s continued to see success in the postseason, appearing in the tournament each year until 2012-2013, when the Wolverines posted a sub .500 record and didn’t make the tournament for the first time in years.

2013 – 2023 | Michigan football started from the bottom, now we’re here! Michigan hockey and basketball have bright spots

Michigan Football

Best Finish (2023); Won CFP Championship, (15-0, 1st in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2014); No bowl appearance (5-7, 5th in Big Ten)

It took some time, but Michigan football reached the top — Again! Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, and the rest of Team 144 helped the Wolverines win the CFP National Championship at the end of the 2023 season. This stretch includes the 2020 sports seasons, but with all the Covid changes it’s easy to brush that off. While the Brady Hoke Sugar Bowl win didn’t hang around long, Jim Harbaugh couldn’t seem to beat the Buckeyes until 2021, when Aidan Hutchinson and Hassan Haskins helped the Wolverines get over that hump.

Michigan Basketball

Best Finish (2017-18); Won B1G tournament, NCAA runner-up, (33-8, T4th in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2023-24); No tournament appearance (8-24, Last in Big Ten)

Michigan basketball had a few fun and surprisingly successful tournament runs. Including the year they won the Big Ten Tournament after a plane crash and went on a crazy run to the National Championship game. The hiring of Juwan Howard came with some things to celebrate, but that would fizzle out in the last few seasons, which paved the way for hiring Dusty May.

Michigan Hockey

Best Finish (2021-22); Won B1G tournament, NCAA Frozen Four, (31-10-1, 2nd in Big Ten)

Worst Finish (2016-17); No tournament appearance, (13-19-3, 5th in Big Ten)

Michigan hockey is going places, but had a tough stretch at the end of Red Berenson’s career, missing the NCAA Tournament three times, including his final season as head coach. The hiring of Mel Pearson seemed promising but he got fired by the University ahead of the 2022 season. Thankfully, Brandon Naurato kept the train moving in the right direction and has had two straight trips to the Frozen Four as head coach.

In the end, it looks like there’s some evidence to back up the idea that you can’t have three good teams at once. When football and basketball were winning, hockey struggled, when hockey turned it around, you started to see a decline in football or the basketball team had issues.

For some time, Michigan basketball helped comfort fans when football and hockey started to bottom out. Last season, who cared about the poor basketball performance? Football won the natty!! Even when one team is bad, we’ll always have another to fall back on.

It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

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Michigan

Michigan cougar cubs confirmed alive in century-first milestone

Published

9 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Michigan cougar cubs confirmed alive in century-first milestone

ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI — Two cougar cubs found this spring in the Upper Peninsula remain alive and traveling with their mother, a confirmation that Michigan wildlife officials say represents a historic milestone for natural reproduction.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said Thursday, Dec. 18 that a trail camera photo taken this month shows an adult female cougar walking down a snowy trail in central Ontonagon County followed by two juvenile cougars estimated to be roughly a year old.

The same cubs were first documented in early March when motorists photographed two small kittens along a western U.P. road.

“This is a historic confirmation for Michigan since it is the first time in over 100 years that verified cougar reproduction has occurred east of the Mississippi River and possibly even east of the Missouri River,” said Brian Roell, DNR large carnivore specialist

Until this year, genetic testing and other evidence indicated that nearly all confirmed cougars in Michigan were transient adult males believed to have traveled east from established populations in the western states.

The presence of cubs confirms at least one breeding female is now on the landscape, though officials say that doesn’t mean Michigan has an established breeding population.

Cougars are native to Michigan but were essentially hunted out of the state by the early 1900s. The DNR has confirmed about 168 cougar sightings since 2008, although it says most of them are of the same animal being reported by multiple sources.

All confirmed sightings have been in the Upper Peninsula.

Cougar sightings have been increasing in recent years alongside the proliferation of trail cameras. This marked the third consecutive year of record-high cougar sightings in Michigan. As of late November, the DNR had confirmed 26 sightings statewide in 2025.

The state verified the first confirmed vehicle collision with a male cougar on Nov. 15 in northern Houghton County.

The DNR said it verified the new cubs sighting image after a private landowner submitted a trail camera photo taken Dec. 6. Biologists enhanced the nighttime image and confirmed the presence of three cougars. The sex of the cubs is unknown.

Cougar cubs typically stay with their mother for up to two years and Roell said their chances of survival are relatively high because female cougars invest heavily in raising their young. The absence of an adult cougar in March had raised concerns about their survival. He is surprised the kittens weren’t seen on any other trail cameras since this spring.

“These kittens will stay with their mom through this winter and possibly even into next winter,” Roell said.

This photograph shared with with the Michigan DNR in March 2025 shows a cougar cub in found in Ontonagon County.Michigan Department of Natural Resources

State officials did not release the exact location of the latest sighting. Cougars are listed as endangered in Michigan. It is illegal to hunt or harass them or attempt to locate dens.

Anyone who encounters evidence of a cougar should keep their distance, avoid disturbing the area and report sightings to the DNR.

The DNR said other states, including Nebraska, have also reported increases in cougar sightings.

Cougars need large territories because they are solitary ambush predators that rely on deer and other large prey, which leads to low population densities. Even states with the largest cougar populations generally have just a few thousand of the animals.

“This isn’t an animal that is ever going to become very numerous,” Roell said. “They’re going to remain rare on the landscape regardless of whatever happens with them here in Michigan.”

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Michigan

New report details alleged relationship leading to firing of ex-Michigan football HC Sherrone Moore

Published

21 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

New report details alleged relationship leading to firing of ex-Michigan football HC Sherrone Moore

Moore was released on a $25,000 bond on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A new report has shed more light on the alleged relationship between former Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore and an alleged staff member.

Moore was fired on Wednesday (Dec. 10) due to the inappropriate relationship, and afterward, he reportedly went to the woman’s home and threatened to take his own life.

According to The Athletic, the woman was on the phone with her lawyer when Moore allegedly broke into her apartment.

The lawyer told police she could hear screaming over the phone.

The report also stated the woman allegedly ended the relationship two days before Moore was fired, but he continued to call and send dozens of texts over the following days.

That behavior prompted the woman to come forward to the university, leading to his dismissal and subsequent arrest.

Moore was released on a $25,000 bond on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

–> Michigan football interim head coach Biff Poggi talks team’s emotional state following Sherrone Moore saga

–> President Trump appears to take jab at Michigan football while talking about NIL

–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond

–> Warde Manuel still athletic director after U of M Regents meet, per reports

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Potential Michigan football coaching candidate reportedly no longer being pursued

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Potential Michigan football coaching candidate reportedly no longer being pursued

On Tuesday, multiple reports began to surface about Washington coach Jedd Fisch no longer being considered by the Wolverines as a candidate for the open head football coaching position at Michigan.

Although it’s still unclear as to why Michigan is seemingly moving off of him as a consideration, college football analyst Josh Pate seemed to confirm the reports on his show that Fisch is unlikely to be a factor in the Wolverines’ search moving forward.

Dec 13, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch in the first half of the LA Bowl against the Boise State Broncos at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“There’s been some sentiment about Jedd Fisch,” Pate said. “There’s been some though this week—and granted, it’s only Tuesday (at the time of his show). But there’s been some thought this week that Jedd Fisch’s name may be climbing. And that’s because Michigan was taking a hard look at him.

“There’s been some sentiment today that maybe Jedd Fisch’s name has cooled. I think that’s accurate. And I think they’ve done a fairly good job, especially if you’re on The Fort (On3’s The Wolverine) on the message boards over there, I think they’ve done a fairly good job of detailing that. Not necessarily details that I think it’s important for us to dive into—it’s more minutiae based.

“The critical take home points here are—I don’t know that Jedd Fisch is going to be a factor in the Michigan search moving forward. He’s got himself a good job at Washington. It’s one of the better jobs in the Big Ten. In fact, Jedd Fisch may have one of the more underrated jobs in the country. So, it’s not like he needs to be desperate to leave Washington. But I think his name was a factor, I’m not so sure it’s going to be a factor moving forward.”

Fisch’s history at Michigan and where Wolverines go from here

Fisch was considered a quality candidate for the job due to his extensive background in coaching, which includes four different NFL stops and coaching at seven different college programs.

He was the head coach at Arizona from 2021-23 and led a turnaround for the Wildcats under his watch before becoming the head coach of the Huskies in 2024.

In the 2015-16 season, Fisch served as Michigan’s passing game coordinator while also helping with the quarterbacks and wide receivers in his only year with the Wolverines under former head coach Jim Harbaugh.

With Fisch apparently now likely off the board, it looks like the Wolverines will turn to other names of interest.

Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer still seem to be the names that are being thrown around the most during Michigan’s search.

During his show, Pate discussed Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz as a name that is involved.

Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz greets players and staff as they enter the locker room prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is now in the same role with Harbaugh’s LA Chargers, also seems like a possibility, but the NFL Chargers likely making the playoffs could make things tricky timeline wise to make that happen. Plus, Minter is very likely to be considered for an NFL job in the near future, meaning the Wolverines would likely have to compete against other NFL teams to hire him.

The clock is ticking with the winter transfer portal window beginning on Jan. 2, so whoever Michigan hires, ideally it would be done before that date comes up.

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