ANN ARBOR – Biff Poggi didn’t hold back Monday when asked about his thoughts on former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore.
Poggi, 66, is serving as the Wolverines’ interim coach for the second time this season, but his current role has been vastly different than when he led the team to wins over Central Michigan and Nebraska in Weeks 3 and 4 when Moore was suspended.
Now he’s trying to mitigate a mess created by Moore, who is facing three criminal charges stemming from an incident after he was fired Dec. 10 for having an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.
“That whole situation is dead to me,” Poggi said in his first news conference in Ann Arbor since being named interim coach after Moore’s dismissal. “I’m not spending one second thinking about that nonsense.”
Poggi, who served as an analyst at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh in 2016 and then associate head coach in 2021 and 2022, joined Moore’s staff this season in the same role. He has interviewed to become the Wolverines’ next head coach and wants to fix what he described as a “malfunctioning organization,” but his current job description entails so much more than just preparing the team for its Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl against Texas.
“To love and care for the kids,” Poggi said of his current role. “That’s it. And, we do know something about football. I’ve probably been the head coach for 300 games in high school and college. Football’s football.
“Right now, it’s not about winning a game, it’s not about auditioning. It’s not about anything. It’s about focusing on these kids and their families, and that’s it. That was my mandate, and that’s what I’m trying to do every single day.”
As successful as Michigan has been on the field over the past five seasons – a run that includes three Big Ten titles, a national championship and four wins over Ohio State – the program has also been ensnared in multiple scandals. Harbaugh and Moore both served suspensions and received show-cause penalties from the NCAA stemming from recruiting violations and repercussions for the sign-stealing saga.
The program itself was hit with hefty fines following the NCAA’s investigation into impermissible advances scouting. Two former offensive coordinators – Moore and Matt Weiss – are facing criminal charges, while other staff members also have been fired for incidents involving law enforcement.
Parents have expressed concern to Poggi behind the scenes, and he said his obligation is to be upfront and honest with them.
“These are hard talks to have because one thing you have to do with players and their families, the minute they think you’re lying to them, it’s over,” said Poggi, a former hedge fund manager. “I believe that’s why the portal is so big and it’s getting bigger every year… because kids are told things and their families are told things that aren’t true. If I don’t know an answer that is asked me from a kid or a parent, I’ll tell them I don’t know and I’ll do my best to find out. If I do know, I tell it to them whether I think they want to hear it or not.
“Look, let’s face it. The kids that have been here four and five years with their families, there’s been something kind of every year that’s been messy…whoever the next guy in this seat is, his mandate is going to be to fix it.”
Poggi, who went 6-16 at Charlotte from 2023-24 in his only stint as a college head coach, hopes to be the person to fix it. He has largely been able to keep Michigan’s roster intact, at least in the meantime. Only one player, backup quarterback Jadyn Davis, has announced his intention to transfer, while 25 of the 27 recently signed recruits remain in the fold.
Last week, Michigan players shared how they were “shocked” and “blindsided” by the Moore situation. Poggi said he and the coaches also were angered by what transpired.
In the aftermath of Moore’s departure, Poggi said he has changed “basically everything” about the day-to-day operations inside the program. Practices and meetings have been shorter but more up-tempo.
Enjoying football and having fun has been an emphasis.
“It’s been a blast,” he said. “It’s been a blast for the coaches; it’s been a blast for them (players). And the work has been outstanding. The level of practice has been outstanding. The concentration in meetings have been outstanding.
“We haven’t played a game in a long time, so we’ll see. Texas, I mean, come on, we’re all watching the CFP, and the fact that they’re not in it and some other (teams) are is, like, mind-numbing. Really excellent team, but, our kids are going to show up and do the very best they can.”
