The Michigan Wolverines head coaching search continues as we're now in the second week without a hire. Interim Michigan Coach Biff Poggi made his pitch to the Michigan fan base on Monday in his press conference for the head coaching position.
"It’s been five years of malfunctioning organization, Lets say what it what it is. It's happened every year. The Athletic Director doesn’t want any more of that”"Biff Poggi
Poggi’s Experience at Michigan
Poggi has an interesting career in coaching, and this is his 3rd stint at Michigan. Before he ever got into coaching, he made millions as a hedge fund manager in a company he co-created with his father-in-law. He was a successful head coach in high school at Gillman school from 1996 to 2014, until he was hired in Michigan.
Poggi was on staff from 2021 to 2022 and then had a 2-year unsuccessful run as Charlotte's head coach. He then returned this past season as associate head coach. He filled in for Sherrone Moore for two games when Moore was suspended earlier this season.
Why Poggi might make sense for Michigan
Poggi could make sense as the next head coach because it appears they have struck out with their top candidates so far. Kalen DeBoer and Kenny Dillingham are both staying in Alabama and Arizona State, respectively. Hiring Poggi as an interim coach for a year might be beneficial for the Athletic Department to complete its investigation. They are currently looking into all the scandals involving the football program. This would also help them reset the search and restart it next year. Poggi sounds like a coach who could be successful in the short term.
Why Poggi's hire will have some shortcomings
Poggi is 66 years old and not in a long-term position to be a head coach at Michigan. He was hired by Harbaugh and spent two stints coaching under him there. Michigan has said they prefer to break away from the past, so how would that look if they hired a former Michigan assistant? The optics look bad. It is a big risk to hire someone at 66 years old who has never had a head coaching job at the Power 4 level. The experience of running an entire program 365 days a year is different from just being the interim head coach for a short term.
Final Thoughts
The timing is awful for Michigan. A week after signing day, they fired Moore. Most of the top candidates have either gone to new places or signed extensions. With the transfer portal opening in January, they need to hire a coach soon. If they don’t hire a coach in the next week, they might look at Poggi as either an interim coach or a permanent solution. It would be a band-aid hire, but he could be successful as head coach for a short time.