Michigan Names Biff Poggi Interim Coach After Firing Sherrone Moore

This will be Poggi’s second stint as Michigan’s interim head coach.

Biff Poggi has been named Michigan’s interim head coach after the school fired Sherrone Moore. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan shocked the college football world by firing head coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday evening. The Wolverines immediately named Biff Poggi their interim head coach.

Poggi has been at Michigan in several stints, first as an analyst in 2016. He returned to the school as interim head coach under Jim Harbaugh from 2021 to ‘22. Charlotte hired Poggi as its head coach before the 2023 season. In two seasons leading the 49ers, he went 3-9 in 2023, then started 3-7 in 2024 before getting fired and replaced by Tim Brewster.

Michigan hired the 65-year-old as its associate head coach before this season. He served as the team’s interim head coach in wins over Central Michigan and Nebraska, while Moore was serving a two-game suspension. Poggi will now assume that role again for the team’s Citrus Bowl matchup with No. 13 Texas on December 31.

With Moore out, Michigan will be searching for a new, full-time head coach. Poggi has a few weeks to audition for the job, but it is likely the Wolverines will aim much higher in their search for new leadership. After Harbaugh left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2024, Moore was elevated to head coach to maintain continuity after Michigan won the national championship. There is no need for continuity anymore.

While college football’s coaching carousel was essentially over, a premier job like Michigan’s opening up could change everything. Names like John Harbaugh, Kalen DeBoer and Jesse Minter are sure to be tossed around.

For now, Poggi is running the program.

Biff Poggi’s career timeline

Francis Xavier “Biff” Poggi began his career as a hedge fund manager and became a millionaire working in finance for years before beginning his coaching career in 1987. He worked as an assistant at Brown, Temple and the Citadel all that year, before working as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at his alma mater, the Gilman School in Maryland, from 1988 until 1995.

He took over as the head coach at the Gilman School in 1996 and remained in that position through the 2015 season. On Poggi’s watch, Gilman won 13 state titles in 19 seasons. Michigan hired him as an analyst in 2016, but he returned to high school coaching a year later.

In 2017, Poggi took over as the head coach at Saint Frances Academy in Maryland. He spent millions to help prevent the school from closing, and was the head coach for four seasons. He turned Saint Frances into a national power, and future Michigan running back/current Rams running back Blake Corum was one of his players.

Poggi returned to Michigan as associate head coach for the 2021 and ‘22 seasons before UNC Charlotte hired him as its head coach. He had two dismal seasons, going 6-16 and being fired before finishing his second season. Michigan welcomed him back as associate head coach heading into the 2025 campaign.

Now he’ll be the team’s interim head coach for the second time this season.

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