Harbaugh: Moore ‘only person’ to take over U-M
Michigan is giving Sherrone Moore a shot, hoping he can sustain at least some of the success Jim Harbaugh had toward the end of his nine-season run with college football’s winningest program.
“We’re hungry for more,” Moore said Saturday after he was introduced as coach of the Wolverines.
Michigan hired Moore on Friday to replace Harbaugh, who wanted the 37-year-old offensive coordinator to succeed him and lead the defending national champions.
“Jim talked effusively about Sherrone before the season, after the season and in our conversation on Wednesday and really gave me the insight why he was our choice,” athletic director Warde Manuel said.
The move was made two days after Harbaugh bolted to lead the Los Angeles Chargers, getting a five-year deal that gives him another chance to chase a Super Bowl title.
Harbaugh told The Associated Press that Moore is a smart, hard-working teacher who makes a strong connection with players, staff members and families.
“The only person I would want to do the job,” Harbaugh wrote in a text message Saturday. “I have 100% conviction that he will make us all very proud!!!”
Moore’s contract is for five years with a base salary of $500,000 and $5 million in additional compensation in Year 1. His salary and additional compensation will each increase by 2% in the subsequent years, and Moore will receive $500,000 per contract year if he remains head coach for the entirety of the year.
He also can earn up to $3.5 million in bonuses, including $500,000 for winning a conference championship and $1 million for winning the national championship. His buyout starts at $5 million and decreases by $1 million each year, down to $1 million in the final year of the contract.
Moore is a first-time head coach — at least formally.
Michigan went 4-0, including wins over Ohio State and Penn State, while Moore was filling in for Harbaugh as he served two separate suspensions for potential NCAA rules violations during the 2023 season.
“I have no doubt he will successfully transition from OC to HC — he had that opportunity 4 times this year, especially PSU, Maryland and OSU,” Harbaugh wrote in a text. “Proof is in the pudding.”
Moore becomes the first Black head coach in the history of Michigan football.
“It’s time,” said longtime Wolverines assistant coach and staffer Fred Jackson, who is Black.
Moore, who is from Kansas, said he hopes to become an inspiration.
“If you work your tail off, dreams can come true,” he said.
Moore also served a one-game suspension during the 2023 season related to an NCAA recruiting infractions case. The NCAA’s investigation into allegations of sign-stealing and in-person scouting, which resulted in the late-season three-game suspension of Harbaugh by the Big Ten, has yet to be resolved.
“The only person I would want to do the job. I have 100% conviction that he will make us all very proud!!!”
Jim Harbaugh, on new Michigan coach Sherrone Moore
Harbaugh denied involvement in the sign-stealing scheme, and there has been no evidence made public to show Moore, who became Michigan’s primary playcaller this season, was involved.
Michigan will have a new quarterback next season because J.J. McCarthy entered the NFL draft.
The Wolverines expect to have running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland back on offense, along with cornerback Will Johnson and tackles Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham on defense.
Players lobbied privately with Manuel and publicly on social media for Moore to get the job.
“I love it,” said Edwards, one of the many current players to attend the news conference. “If anybody deserves it, it’s him.”
Moore joined Harbaugh’s staff in 2018 as tight ends coach on the recommendation of Dan Enos, who spent about six weeks after the 2017 season as a member of Harbaugh’s staff before leaving to be an Alabama assistant. Moore was promoted to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2021, when the Wolverines bounced back from a 2-4, pandemic-shortened season and began a three-year run of excellence that culminated in the school’s first national title in 26 years.
He has been regarded as a rising star in recent years.
The former Oklahoma offensive lineman started his coaching career in 2009 as a graduate assistant at Louisville, where he was later promoted to coach tight ends. He left Louisville to lead Central Michigan‘s tight ends in 2014, and Harbaugh hired him in 2018 to coach at the same position.
Moore said it was humbling to know that Harbaugh and players made it clear he was their choice.
“I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can,” he said. “I’ve always gone by the philosophy, work like a GA. I always want to keep that mindset even as the head coach.”
While stretching with the Sooners entering his senior season, Moore watched as coaches communicated with players, whose lives were shaped by those leaders, and saw his future in the profession.
“The impact they had on us, I wanted to have on people,” he recalled. “That was the moment it clicked.”
Information from ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren was used in this report.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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