Michigan urged to pursue $66 million college football coach to replace Sherrone Moore

Michigan announced on Wednesday that it had fired head football coach Sherrone Moore for cause after an internal investigation found "credible evidence" that Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Athletic Director Warde Manuel’s statement explicitly cited that policy breach as the reason for termination.

Hours after the firing, Moore was detained and booked into the Washtenaw County Jail following an alleged assault incident unrelated to the internal investigation but occurring on the same day as his dismissal.

On Thursday, the crew of ESPN's Get Up argued about potential replacements for Moore at Michigan, with Dan Orlovsky specifically mentioning Texas A&M's Mike Elko.

"I don't care about extensions if I'm Michigan. Clark Lee at Vanderbilt just signed an extension. Don't care. I'm making that call. Mike Elko at Texas A&M just signed an extension. Don't care. I'm making that call."

"If you're Michigan, this has to be a big name that gets you into the living room of, well, they have Ryan Day. Well, we have Clark Lea. They have Dan Lanning. Well, we got Mike Elko," Orlovsky added.

.@danorlovsky7 talks about who could replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan ✍️ pic.twitter.com/MUBEQmQ7Yb
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 11, 2025

Elko was hired by Texas A&M on November 27, 2023, after two seasons as head coach at Duke.

Before that, he built a reputation as a top defensive coach, with stops at Wake Forest and Notre Dame, and an earlier stint as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M.

At Duke (2022-2023), Elko posted a 16-9 record, including a Military Bowl win in 2022.

Elko has transformed Texas A&M’s program: through the 2025 regular season, his teams are 19-6 overall, highlighted by an 11-1 2025 campaign and a No. 7 CFP ranking.

On November 15, Texas A&M and Elko agreed to a new six‑year contract extension through the 2031 season, averaging over $11 million per year (roughly $66 million total).

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko. — College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko on the field in the second half of a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Kyle Field. | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

Moore finishes his Michigan career with an overall 178-8 record across two seasons as head coach.

His 2025 team went 9-3 and ranked No. 18 nationally, but fell to Ohio State 27-9 in the regular‑season finale.

Michigan is scheduled to face No. 14 Texas in the Cheez‑It Citrus Bowl on December 31, 2025, under interim head coach Biff Poggi, who previously served as associate head coach and acting head coach during Moore’s 2025 suspension.

Michigan’s program has now hit a major crossroads: this is the third head coach search in four seasons, following Jim Harbaugh’s departure for the NFL after the 2023 season and Moore’s controversial tenure.

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