Michigan Interim Coach Biff Poggi Offers Blunt View on ‘Malfunctioning’ Program

Liam McKeone | 2 Hours Ago

Biff Poggi took over as head coach of Michigan amid the Sherrone Moore scandal. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sherrone Moore scandal was a bombshell at the University of Michigan and has dominated the attention of the college football world despite the ongoing College Football Playoff. Earlier this month Moore was fired by the university for holding an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He was then arrested and arraigned on multiple charges, including a felony for home invasion; Moore is due back in court in January.

In the aftermath of the development the Wolverines turned to Biff Poggi to hold down the fort as the interim head coach to replace Moore. Poggi will lead Michigan into the Citrus Bowl against Texas on New Year’s Eve before the school launches a full-fledged search for a new head coach. As the game approaches Poggi will be faced with a lot of questions about the program he’s now in charge of.

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On Monday, Poggi met with media and revealed he had interviewed with Michigan AD Warde Manuel for the full-time head coaching position. He was asked what changes he’d enact if Michigan put him in charge of the program. His response included blunt, unfiltered observations on the various scandals the Wolverines have been embroiled in lately.

“Everything that happens in this building has to be reevaluated, quite frankly, because it is not up to standard,” Poggi said. “The staff has to be reevaluated. I mean the coaches, the analysts, everybody in the building. ... Our strength and conditioning, our nutrition, our medical, everything. Because, obviously, it has been five years of ... Let’s just call it what it is: a malfunctioning organization where there’s something every year. I know with the Athletic Director, he’s made very clear he doesn’t want any more of that. If I am named the coach, which again I don’t know if I am, there would be a massive self-examination of what happens in this building.”

Poggi isn’t wrong. Along with this year’s Moore situation, Michigan’s last few seasons have been rife with controversy. The famous Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal led college football headlines throughout 2023, and earlier this year a former Wolverines coach was indicted on federal charges for allegedly hacking accounts of athletes attending the school to access intimate photos and videos. It has made for an awful stretch for Michigan with severe consequences for those involved.

Poggi seems to recognize that it all calls for some serious self-reflection from the university and change is required. How the coaching search pans out will be interesting but we now know what Poggi will bring to the program if he gets hired.

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