$54 million Big Ten coach named a favorite to replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan

After the shocking revelation that Michigan fired Sherrone Moore, the prediction markets have already picked an early favorite to replace him from inside the Big Ten.

Sherrone Moore is out at Michigan, but a potential replacement could be waiting in the Big Ten. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

An already-active and expensive coaching carousel got a surprising update this week after Michigan announced it relieved head coach Sherrone Moore right in the middle of his bowl preparation and offseason schedule in a stunning decision.

Michigan fired Moore for cause after athletic director Warde Manuel claimed that the school found evidence that the former coach had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a member of the football program staff.

The next step in the process? Rampant speculation around what Michigan will do next to replace Sherrone Moore, and already the prediction markets have had their say, with a Big Ten head man emerging as a potential replacement.

What the betting markets say

The new favorite to take the Michigan job? That would be current Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, who emerged with 31 percent odds to take the position, according to the latest figures listed on the prediction market Kalshi.

Other notable names listed on the big board include Kalen DeBoer at Alabama at 23 percent and Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham at 22 percent.

What Jedd Fisch has done

Fisch has coaching experience across the country at both levels, and is also credited with helping revive the Arizona Wildcats program, where he went from 1 win to 10 wins in three seasons before taking the job at Washington.

Washington finished the 2025 season with an 8-4 overall record, splitting its final six games after starting 5-1, and ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring with almost 34 points per game.

Fisch is 14-11 at Washington and has five years remaining on a contract that pays him an average of $7.75 million per year after signing a 7-year, $54.075 million contract last year.

And he has some experience at Michigan, too, serving as the quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, and passing coordinator starting in 2015 and lasting through 2017.

Fisch addresses the rumors

Whatever the bettors are saying about who will coach where, it’s safe to say Fisch hasn’t put much stock in what they think.

“I would say those lists are made by people that have no idea what’s going on, honestly,” Fisch told reporters recently amid rumors he could make a move.

“They don’t know what’s happening in our program. They have no idea how excited I am about the youth in our program... I don’t think that they would know how I enjoy coaching here, that we’ve spent a ton of money into building this program the way we want to build it, that I had a great hand in all the facilities.”

He added: “I think, unfortunately, what happens is they just want to tie coaches to lists, and then we have to sit there and defend it, rather than just be able to tell our fans, our players, our coaching staff, myself, my family, we love the University of Washington,” he said.

“Not only does that affect recruiting. It affects our team. It affects our staff. And my hope is that our players, our coaches, our families, understand how much we love it at Washington.”