With Sherrone Moore readying to lead Michigan in a bowl game for the first time as head coach, here is a look back on how the previous 10 Wolverine coaches have fared in their first bowl game opportunity.
The ReliaQuest Bowl next week marks the 53rd bowl game in the Wolverines’ program history. It also marks the first bowl game under Sherrone Moore’s tenure as head coach.
Moore will be the 11th coach to lead Michigan in a bowl game. Here’s a look back at how the former 10 coaches fared in their first bowl games.
Fielding H. Yost: 1902 Rose Bowl 49-0 win
In 1902, Fielding H. Yost led the Wolverines to its first ever bowl game. Not only was it the first bowl game in Michigan program history, but it was also the first bowl game in college football history. After outscoring opponents 550-0 in the regular season, Michigan beat Stanford in the 1902 Rose Bowl, 49-0.
Following the 1902 Rose Bowl, the Wolverines didn’t participate in another bowl game until 1948, With that 46-year gap, George Little, Tad Wieman and Harry Kipke never had the opportunity to coach a bowl game.
Fritz Crisler: 1948 Rose Bowl 49-0 win
Fritz Crisler served as Michigan’s head coach for 10 years, and for the first nine, the Wolverines never earned a bowl game invitation. In his final season at the helm, though, Crisler finally took Michigan to a bowl game. After a 10-0 season, Crisler led the Wolverines to a 49-0 victory over USC. Fourty-five years after the program’s first bowl game, Michigan once again played in the Rose Bowl, and it once again triumphed 49-0 over its opponent.
Bennie Oosterbaan: 1951 Rose Bowl 14-6 win
Crisler named Bennie Oosterbaan his successor following the 1947 season, and in Oosterbaan’s third season, he took Michigan to the 1951 Rose Bowl, where the Wolverines defeated California 14-6.
Bump Elliott: 1965 Rose Bowl 34-7 win
Oosterbaan passed the torch to Bump Elliott, who took Michigan to one bowl game in his 10 seasons as head coach. In that singular appearance, Elliott helped the Wolverines defeat Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl, 34-7. The first four coaches who led Michigan to a bowl game won their first postseason game.
Bo Schembechler: 1970 Rose Bowl 10-3 loss
With 21 years coaching Michigan and becoming the winningest coach in program history, Bo Schembechler created an incredible legacy. In terms of postseason success, he led the Wolverines to 17 bowl games, but won just five of them. In Michigan’s first bowl game under Schembechler, it suffered a 10-3 loss to USC in the 1970 Rose Bowl, the Wolverines’ first ever bowl game loss. It is worth noting Schembechler suffered a heart attack the day before the game, hospitalizing him. Michigan lost the next six bowl games under Schembechler before finally earning a win in 1981, 12 years after he took over the program.
Gary Moeller: 1991 Gator Bowl 35-3 win
When Gary Moeller took over for Schembechler, he found more success in his inaugural bowl game. After leading the Wolverines to an 8-3 regular season, he coached them to a 35-3 victory over Ole Miss in the 1991 Gator Bowl.
Lloyd Carr: 1995 Alamo Bowl 22-20 loss
Lloyd Carr, Moeller’s successor, didn’t fare quite as well in his first bowl game as Michigan’s head coach, losing to Texas A&M , 22-20, in the 1995 Alamo Bowl. Carr went on to lead the Wolverines to six bowl game victories, the sixth coming in his final season when the Wolverines defeated No. 9 Florida, 41-35, in the 2008 Capital One Bowl.
Rich Rodriguez: 2011 Gator Bowl 52-14 loss
Ending on a high note, Lloyd retired following the 2008 bowl game victory. That high was short-lived, though, as Rich Rodriguez took over the program. Given the many, many problems and struggles Michigan suffered under Rodriguez, it shouldn’t come as a shock the Wolverines lost in his first bowl game. In Rodriguez’s third — and final — season, the Wolverines were crushed by Mississippi State, 52-14, the final blow under his leadership.
Brady Hoke: 2012 Sugar Bowl 23-20 OT win
Brady Hoke got Michigan back on track, leading it to a 10-win season and a bowl game in his first season as head coach. Hoke came away with a victory in the 2012 Sugar Bowl, beating Virginia Tech , 23-20, in overtime.
Jim Harbaugh: 2016 Citrus Bowl 41-7 win
Jim Harbaugh followed in Hoke’s footsteps, also leading the Wolverines to a 10-win season and bowl game appearance in his inaugural season. Michigan defeated No. 19 Florida, 41-7, in the 2016 Citrus Bowl.
With seven of the 10 Michigan coaches recording wins in their first bowl game, the Wolverines have seen a lot of early success from their head coaches. With Hoke and Harbaugh both winning their first bowl game, Moore has the opportunity to extend the winning streak to three.