Recap and takeaways from Sherrone Moore’s interview with Joel Klatt

What Michigan’s new head coach had to say on “Big Noon Conversations.”

As the anticipation builds for the upcoming college football season, Michigan’s new head coach Sherrone Moore sat down with Fox’s Joel Klatt in the first episode of the “Big Noon Conversations” series.

Moore and Klatt touched on a variety of topics ranging from the 2023 season and playoff run, to Moore’s preparation for this year. Here’s a rundown of all that was said in Moore’s appearance:

On his experience as acting head coach in 2023

Serving as head coach isn’t an entirely foreign concept to Moore, as he got a taste of it in the final three regular season games of 2023. When asked if he learned anything from it, Moore mentioned he had to get comfortable with how far-reaching his impact was on the whole team as opposed to his traditional roles in charge of the offense and offensive line.

When talking about Michigan’s first major test against Penn State, he mentioned the players also made his job a bit easier for him due to the situation. While the team was on the road and found out last minute they’d be without Jim Harbaugh, he noted how the players fed off the environment and were already highly motivated.

On Jim Harbaugh’s exit and Moore’s promotion to head coach

Harbaugh leaving for the NFL wasn’t all that surprising. It was equally unsurprising to see Moore be handed the keys to the program. Moore mentioned that during the 2023 season, Harbaugh told him he would someday be the next head coach at Michigan.

“I’m gonna put it in my contract that if I ever leave or go somewhere that you’re the next head coach at Michigan,” Harbaugh told Moore.

A nod from a legendary coach is certainly great, but Moore also appreciated the support he got from the fanbase. He mentioned he felt, “very honored” there were so many in the fan base advocating for him.

On the 2023 team and playoff run

Klatt described Michigan’s 2023 team as, “The most unique team that I’ve ever been around,” and when asking Moore why that was the case, he had a simple answer.

Moore said the team possessed, “A love, a connection, a bond that was just unbreakable — deeper than anything.” This was certainly something evident if you watched the team play and respond to adversity.

The two also touched on seemingly every player on the team having an unselfish and team-oriented mindset, something very rare today.

When talking specifically about the playoff run, Moore noted the preparation, specifically for the Alabama game, was a little bit sharper than years prior. He also mentioned the team was eager to take on Alabama in the Rose Bowl .

“To be the best you have to beat the best,” said Moore, echoing a similar sentiment we’ve heard from Harbaugh (and Ric Flair).

In the Rose Bowl, Moore’s heroics in play-calling helped secure the victory. Michigan’s final drive in regulation will live in history, and Moore understood the gravity of the moment.

“This is the most important drive in Michigan football history,” Moore said he thought to himself in the moment. Moore ended up making several big calls, notably exploiting Alabama in the flats to convert on 4th and 2 and to score the game-winning touchdown.

On his identity and moving into 2024

Taking over for a legendary head coach isn’t easy, and taking after their identity doesn’t always work for assistants when they step into a head coaching role. Klatt asked Moore about what he values most about his identity and what Michigan football should look like going forward.

“I’ve always been a process driven person — I’m gonna put the players first,” Moore said. “To my core, we’re gonna be physical, we’re gonna be tough, we’re gonna try to outlast people.”

These are certainly encouraging to hear given this approach has brought Michigan plenty of success in recent years.

Klatt also asked Moore about what he needs to do to uphold Michigan’s success with a bevy of new starters and coaches on staff. Moore simply mentioned he wanted to keep a “day-by-day” approach and continue to get better each day. He also mentioned that much of the intensity from recent years has carried over into this year’s practices.